Fine chemicals have had a strong showing in 2011, thanks in particular to a strong agro segment. Also, the industry is seeing more requests for challenging chemical syntheses from blue-chip life science and chemical companies.

We see Asia as ...

Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver (CABB): ... an attractive market for our products, especially in the acetyls business. CABB is meeting the opportunity head on, having established a foothold in Asia in 2008 by taking over Karnavati Rasayan, India's market leader operating the country's biggest MCA (monochloroacetic acid) plant. This was only the first step. We are looking for further regionalization of our business into Asia, especially China, the biggest market for MCA globally. Asia as a whole - and particularly China - is increasing the quality requirements for this important chemical building block, particularly as it intends to participate in the export area for the downstream products.

Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal (Codexis): ... as a great and proven partner for using our enzymes to produce pharma intermediates and APIs, and a growing market for our intermediates and APIs. We have been selling our products in India for many years to a growing number of customers. In January, we were very pleased to announce a collaboration with Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, one of Japan's 10 largest pharmaceutical manufacturers

Dr. Jörn Winterfeld (Wacker): ... an important focus region for the Wacker Group. The company has already invested heavily in production plants - for instance for silicones - and set up a comprehensive sales organization in countries like China, Japan, Korea and India. Concerning the fine chemicals segment, we will continue to focus on our core markets in Europe and the U.S. Asian countries like China and India also offer large business opportunities and growth prospects for fine chemicals. But on the other hand, it is a very competitive region with benefits for domestic producers.

The business of fine chemicals in 2011 is ...

Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver (CABB): ... developing well, driven by extraordinary growth in the agro chemicals. But also custom manufacturing for pharma intermediates and for the personal care segment was strong.

Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal (Codexis): ... is growing because of the re-structuring at our customers. We find our pharmaceutical customers turning to qualified suppliers such as Codexis for process development of intermediate and API manufacturing.

Dr. Jörn Winterfeld (Wacker): ... improving further, following the economic crisis in 2009. Sales and profitability recovered in 2010 and in the first half of 2011 and were driven by a strong market demand, especially from industrial applications like automotive and construction. Wacker, too, benefits from this positive business environment by selling organic fine chemicals like acetyl acetone, chlorinated carbonyl compounds and special silanes.

The most promising trend in fine chemicals is ...

Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver (CABB): ... an increasing demand for custom manufacturing services coming from the blue chip life science and chemical majors. Our clients have now asked us for more innovative and complex products that until recently they were manufacturing in-house. Overall, we see a strong growth in the outsourcing of fine chemicals - especially of more challenging chemical syntheses. CABB can apply its core competencies to the customers' - and our own - benefit. We are prepared to grow with the customers by investing in these partially complex synthesis routes and by continuing to provide on-time, best-in-class service and reliability.

Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal (Codexis): ... openness for the use of new technologies in the manufacture of the products rather than only moving to lower cost areas to improve economics.

Dr. Jörn Winterfeld (Wacker): ... beside a growing market place, especially for agro chemicals and some industrial applications, the improvement of ecological compliance of the chemical industry - also in the emerging countries.

The future of fine chemicals is ...

Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver (CABB): ... looking attractive for those companies who can add real value to the business of their customers. CABB thrives to be the partner of choice by applying intelligent solutions and innovative technical and chemical concepts, supported by sizable investments both into assets and know-how; as well as a well-perceived service offering enabling the customers to concentrate on their core business considerations and rely on a strong outsourcing partner.

Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal (Codexis): ... in more advanced and more complicated products using new technologies. We find customers are rapidly adopting biocatalysis into their operations as this technology has moved broadly into the mainstream.

Dr. Jörn Winterfeld (Wacker): ... positive, with a growing global market demand. However, business will remain competitive, with competition coming especially from Asia. Wacker considers its backward-integration to basic chemicals, the long-standing know-how and experience regarding certain technologies like chlorinations, silane and ketene chemistry, as well as production at a fully integrated site as particular strengths for the fine chemicals business. Constant process improvements and upgrade in technology are also key success factors in the fine chemicals field.

Consolidation in the fine chemicals industry will ...

Dr. Martin Wienkenhöver (CABB): ...further continue. CABB just acquired KemFine in August with the support of our new owner, Bridgepoint. For CABB KemFine is absolutely the right partner to help grow and develop our business further - especially in the area of custom manufacturing.

Dr. Peter Seufer-Wasserthal (Codexis): ... happen! It also means that synergies will be used in existing Western plants and that these companies will have to deal with technologies they have not been familiar with. This allows for new technologies to be used as well

Dr. Jörn Winterfeld (Wacker): ... continue, since it is a very fragmented industry. Many small players may vanish or merge to attain the so-called critical mass. This trend includes producers in China.