BASF will modernize and service its acetylene facility at the Ludwigshafen Verbund site, Germany. In the course of these efforts the company will also perform routine maintenance at its facility producing 1,4-butanediol (BDO), which is based on acetylene.
BASF will make use of this period to upgrade its plant technology. In 2012 alone, the company is investing more than €20 million for this purpose.
Novo Nordisk announced a global workforce reduction of approximately 9,000 positions to streamline operations and reinvest DKK 8 billion (€1 billion) in growth opportunities for diabetes and obesity treatments.
Carbon black manufacturer Orion Engineered Carbons plans to rationalize production lines in North and South America and EMEA.
BASF sells a majority stake in its coatings business to the investor Carlyle.
Merck to acquire the chromatography business of JSR Life Sciences, a leading provider of CDMO services, preclinical and translational clinical research, and bioprocessing solutions.
