Surfactants, a portmanteau of “surface” and “active” agent, play a pivotal role in various industries. These molecules are designed to work at interfaces, with the most common interface being the boundary between oil and water.
At the end of last week, Belgian chemicals and recycling company Umicore held the groundbreaking ceremony in Changshu, Jiangsu province, China, for its new large-scale fuel cell catalyst plant.
In a move to complement its neuroscience portfolio, US drugmaker AbbVie has agreed to acquire Cerevel Therapeutics, which has a pipeline of multiple clinical-stage and preclinical candidates with potential across several diseases including schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease (PD), and mood disorders.
In a move to participate in the race for anti-obesity drugs, Swiss pharma giant Roche has agreed to acquire Carmot Therapeutics, a privately owned US company based in Berkeley, California.
Japanese manufacturer Asahi Kasei invests in Canadian startup Ionomr Innovations, known for its high-performance anion exchange membrane (AEM). The membrane has applications in cost-efficient and scalable green hydrogen production.
In a move to focus on its core businesses, Finnish chemicals company Kemira has signed an agreement to divest its oil and gas-related portfolio for €260 million to Sterling Specialty Chemicals, a US subsidiary of Artek Industries, a global industrial chemicals group based in India.
Capchem Technology USA Inc., a subsidiary of Shenzhen Capchem Technology Co., may invest €320 million ($350 million) in building an integrated carbonate solvent and lithium-ion battery electrolyte facility in Louisiana, USA.
UK’s RoslinCT, a cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization, will be part of the Vertex Pharmaceuticals global network producing the CRISPR-based therapy exa-cel, which will be used for treatment of sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.
South Korea-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) SK Bioscience wants to expand its vaccine manufacturing plant located in Andong, South Korea to approximately 4,200 m2 through joint investment with Sanofi.
US fertilizer producer CF Industries has completed the acquisition of the ammonia production complex of Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL) in Waggaman, Louisiana, USA, for $1.675 billion.
On Dec. 1, 2023, French chemicals and materials company Arkema has finalized the acquisition of Glenwood Private Equity’s 54% – based on a €728 million enterprise value – stake in South Korean company PI Advanced Materials (PIAM). Arkema said in a statement that this acquisition acquisition – first announced last June – complements its portfolio of high-performance technologies for the high-growth markets of advanced electronics and electric mobility.
US biopharma AbbVie has agreed to acquire ImmunoGen in a deal which values the company at about $10.1 billion and gives AbbVie access to flagship cancer therapy Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx), a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approved for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), as well as a pipeline of promising next-generation ADCs.
UK’s Elementis, a global specialty chemicals company, will be opening a new unit in Portugal, featuring a center of excellence and R&D laboratory. The new unit, which will be headquartered in Porto and is scheduled to open in the first half of 2024, will support the company’s business segments Personal Care and Performance Specialties and also reinforce the current R&D capacity of the Elementis' laboratories in Asia and the Americas.
Olefins and polyolefins producer Borealis has signed an agreement to acquire Integra Plastics, a Bulgarian advanced mechanical recycling company. Closing of the transaction, for which no financial details were disclosed, is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
On Monday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced £29.5 billion ($36.8 billion) of private sector investment in Britain at a gathering of global executives intended to showcase Britain’s appeal to global investors.
Novo Nordisk wants to make another major capital investment in production capacity for its diabetes and obesity therapies. The Danish drugmaker announced to spend more than 16 billion Danish kroner (€2.1 billion euros) starting in 2023 to expand its production site in Chartres, France, adding aseptic production and finished production processes and an extension of the current Quality Control Laboratory.
EuroAPI has completed the acquisition of BianoGMP, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in oligonucleotides.
Major French oil company TotalEnergies SE and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) are considering selling a jumbo US plant that produces styrene and polystyrene, used in products such as plastic packaging, disposable cups, and insulation.
Merck & Co. (MSD) and Caraway Therapeutics announced that the companies have agreed Merck & Co., through a subsidiary, will acquire Caraway Therapeutics for a total potential consideration of up to €557 million ($610 million), including an undisclosed upfront payment and contingent milestone payments.
Ineos Styrolution, a styrenics producer, has opened a new world-scale ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) facility located in Ningbo, China, together with its joint venture partner Sinopec. The facility has an annual nameplate capacity of 600,000 tons.
Orion opens its first greenfield project – a carbon black plant in eastern China that will supply fast-growing demand in Asia.
AGC Wakasa Chemicals, part of Japanese group AGC, has completed a new large-scale production line at its Kaminaka Plant in Fukui prefecture, Japan, as it expects demand for agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals to grow steadily against a backdrop of population growth and improvement of living standards.
The European Chemical Industry Council, CEFIC, announced 26 companies and national associations as the key initiatives featured in the 2023 European Responsible Care Awards Gallery.
German chemicals and ingredients distributor Brenntag has opened its new facility in Maurice, Louisiana, USA. Strategically positioned along the US Gulf Coast, the new site will be the primary operations hub for Coastal Chemical, a subsidiary of Brenntag, in addition to serving other areas in the region, the company said.
AkzoNobel is investing €32 million in a new plant at its Vilafranca site in Spain, which will produce bisphenol-free coatings for the metal packaging industry in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). AkzoNobel expects facility to be operational by mid-2025 and to create around 40 jobs.
The $5 trillion chemical industry plays a pivotal role in the global economy, serving as the foundation for countless sectors from paints to plastics that rely on its products and processes. With a rich history of innovation, chemical companies are well-positioned to lead the charge on decarbonization.
French industrial gases group Air Liquide and Japanese energy company Eneos have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on accelerating the development of low-carbon hydrogen in Japan and contribute to the energy transition, covering the entire low-carbon hydrogen value chain.
OCI Global, the world’s third largest nitrogen fertilizer and ammonia producer, is supplying Röhm, a leading manufacturer of methacrylates, with bio-ammonia for the production of methyl methacrylate (MMA), an important precursor for Plexiglas.
German chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences group Merck, which operates its Healthcare business as EMD Serono in the US and Canada, announced that it plans to move its US Healthcare headquarters, currently located in Rockland, Massachusetts, to Boston’s Seaport district.
Sweden’s Hexpol has acquired the American thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers for $26.5 million from Thomas A. Dieschbourg, who founded the company in 1993 and will remain as its president.
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies unveiled its new $2 billion large-scale cell culture manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, US.
Evonik announced that it is significantly expanding its commitment to developing solutions for the circular economy, bundling its activities in the group-wide Circular Economy Program. From 2030, the German specialty chemicals company aims to generate at least €1 billion in additional sales per year from circular products and technologies.
The Croatian start-up Makabi has created a 3-in-1 encapsulation technology for plant protection and nutrition and controlled release of bioactive components.
Yara has decided to divest its fertilizer import and distribution subsidiary in Ivory Coast. The move follows a thorough analysis of the company’s operations, considering market dynamics, regulatory environment, and strategic growth opportunities.
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk plans to invest more than 42 billion Danish kroner (about €5.6 billion) starting in 2023 to expand existing manufacturing facilities at the company’s Kalundborg, Denmark, site to meet future market demands.
