The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) welcomed Sartorius as its new shareholder and together the companies plan to extend their partnership to develop future-focused tools and AI applications for the production of advanced medications.

In the challenging market environment, Bayer has decided to introduce additional operational savings of more than 1.7 billion dollars every year annually as of 2024. The cash flow from these efforts will be allocated for investments in further innovation, profitable growth opportunities and debt reduction.

With the mega investment, Merck will expand its high-potent active pharmaceutical ingredient (Hpapi) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) manufacturing capabilities. The new 6,500-sq m facility is expected to be one of the largest Hpapi manufacturing facilities capable of handling single-digit nanogram occupational exposure limit materials.

Oxone monopersulfate is a core active ingredient for disinfectants and Lanxess aims to increase its production capacity by around 50 %. For this purpose, the firm will invest a lower double-digit million euro amount in its Memphis production unit in the USA. The move is in line with the growing demand for disinfectants in the background of the African swine fever and Covid-19.

A global survey conducted by Yokogawa has revealed that process industry companies are accelerating investment in industrial autonomy in the background of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Cyber security (51 %), cloud, analytics, and big data (47 %), and artificial intelligence (42 %) are three vital areas in which companies are planning significant investment over the next three years.

Jiangsu Jiatong Energy has entered into an agreement with Invista Performance Technologies (IPT) to license Invista’s latest P8 PTA technology for its dual PTA lines in China. The expected start-up date for the first line of the Jiatong project is Q4 2022. Vortext

The Industry 4.0 platform or the Industrial Internet Consortium? RAMI or IIRA? Observe the standards meticulously or just do it? In the matter of procedures to be followed for manufacturing in the future and the Internet of Things, the differences between Germany and the USA may not be unbridgeable, but they are definitely conspicuous.

Comprehensive valve monitoring for improved valve management — Modern control valves are able to capture and store a bunch of operational data. So it is possible to monitor and elaborate available information around those assets to predict failures. Appropriate counter measures prevent plant shutdowns, which positively influences production efficiency. Additionally, plant managers are able to schedule necessary maintenance and to minimize wear, thus significantly reducing the cost of operation — another key issue for profitable operation. As a repetitive process the analysis and calculations during operation enable valuable improvements.

Total (China) Investment has joined hands with Alibaba Group and will make use of the Alibaba Business Operating System for the digital transformation of its operations in the Asian country. The partnership is expected to provide digital infrastructure and support for Total’s service stations, lubricants and special fluids businesses in China.

Clariant provided investors, analysts and journalists important details of the specific challenges and opportunities in North America as well as unique insights into the latest market and technology trends within Clariant’s Business Units Catalysis and Oil & Mining Services at Clariant´s Roundtable event in San Francisco on August 25.