Fine Chemicals & Specialty Chemicals

SOCMA Report Finds Specialty Chemical Manufacturers Strong, Adaptive, and Positioned for Growth

Three-year outlook highlights investment in automation, cybersecurity, and regulated manufacturing as key drivers of long-term competitiveness.

Azelis Expands Asia-Pacific Presence with Chemiplas Acquisition

Consolidation in the distribution sector continues apace. Specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor Azelis has entered into an agreement to take over Chemiplas, a leading distributor of specialty chemicals, plastic raw materials and ingredients in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

IMCD Strengthens India Presence with Parkash Buy

IMCD has agreed to buy Parkash DyeChem, a leading Indian distributor of specialty chemicals for construction and printing inks. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close next month, were not revealed.

The Upswing of the Superstars

For its annual report "Value Creation in Chemicals 2021 – Ten Years of Steady Growth – and a Few Superstars," the strategy consultancy Boston Consulting Group examined the performance of leading international chemical companies from 2011 to 2020. The long-term perspective shows that the industry has mastered serious market downturns with astonishing confidence.

Fine Chemicals in China

Fu Xiangsheng, Vice Chairman of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, characterized China`s chemical industry as having a a surplus of basic chemicals and a shortage of functional chemicals. Indeed, the share of fine chemicals as a percentage of the total industry value is only about 45% compared to 60-70% in the US and in many European countries, and 90% in Switzerland. Thus, the Chinese government is interested in supporting the development of local fine chemicals production.

Lonza Specialty Ingredients Carve-Out Complete

Lonza has completed the carve-out of its Specialty Ingredients business as LSI and appointed a management team led by CEO Mark Doyle, a former DuPont and DowDuPont chief. The newly independent company with a workforce of 2,900 and a global presence in 32 countries is now owned by Herens HoldCo, an entity controlled by private equity firms Bain Capital and Cinven.

Safety Is a Mindset, not a Department

Alexis Pey, Global SHE & Process Safety Manager at Dutch holding Stahl, talks about the company’s safety culture involving the whole organization.

Advancing Sustainable Chemical Solutions

Without products based directly or indirectly on chemicals, life as we know it would be unsustainable. According to various sources, more than 95% of the products around us are either made by the chemical industry or involve at least one chemical process step in their manufacture.

IMCD Opens Dubai Office

IMCD, the Netherlands-based specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor, has opened an office in Dubai, strengthening its presence in the Middle East.

Flow Chemistry - A Mature Technology still on the Rise

The change in many chemical companies’ product portfolio away from commodities to customer-specific specialties is one of the current challenges facing the process industry.

Agrochemical and Custom Manufacturing Industry: Connected Fates

The fate of the agrochemical innovation, development, product launch and production are strongly linked to the parallel development of the fine chemicals and custom manufacturing industry.

Flow Chemistry: A Mature Technology still on the Rise

The change in many chemical companies’ product portfolio away from commodities to customer-specific specialties is one of the current challenges facing the process industry.

Chemspec Europe Returns to Cologne

Chemspec Europe 2020: Europe’s Top Trade Fair for the Fine and Speciality Chemicals Industry

From Petrol to Specialty Products

ESIM Chemicals Creates Value without Compromise

Azelis to Buy Turkey’s Ekin Kimya

In its fifth acquisition so far this year, Azelis has agreed to buy Ekin Kimya, a leading Turkish specialty chemicals distributor active in the pharmaceuticals, food ingredients and laboratory chemicals segments. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the next three months, were not disclosed.

Reinforcing the Virtues of the Specialty Chemical Sector

Oqema repositions itself in France

Trend Barometer of Specialty Chemicals Industry

Christian Kohlpaintner to Leave Clariant

Superior Plus Seeks Sale of Specialty Chemicals

Nouryon Announces New Structure

Thomas Swan Appoints Ray Fahmy as President of SCI

Chemical Distribution 4.0

“68% of chemicals worth $76 billion will be sold online within the next five years.” This was the message from leading market research institutes and consultants in 2000, at the start of the new millennium.

Hazardous Chemicals in Circular Economy

Chemical Industry is Looking for a Better Way to Use Resources

A Holistic System Approach

Unique Opportunity for Innovation and Improvement

A Visible Reference of Production-scale Micro Reaction Technology

A Technology on the Upswing

Benefits across Different Industries and Applications

Unsurpassed Heat and Mass Transfer Properties

Further Development Will Increase Confidence

A Boost to Efficiency, Adaptability and Responsiveness