Feike Sijbesma, chief executive officer and chairman of Dutch life sciences company Royal DSM, has a world map in his mind, with key locations marked with changing economic indicators.

All the so-called upcoming high-growth economies, led by China, India, Brazil, and Russia, accounted for about 45 percent of the company's total sales in 2014.

"That percent will grow in coming years to slightly above 50 percent - however, I do not expect it will go much higher than that," he said.