China is stepping up the pace — By 2025, China wants to play a leading role in terms of innovation, sustainability and networking. The ambitious plan will be a challenge particularly for chemical and petrochemical companies. What solutions does the concept “Made in China 2025” offer for an industry at the crossroads? And how can companies prepare for the future?

Daikin and Hitachi will start a joint demonstration to digitalize quality control know-how in the reaction process of chemical manufacturing, especially in fluorochemicals, at Daikin Yodogawa Plant (Settsu, Osaka Prefecture).

Shin-Etsu Chemical announced an investment of $ 125 million in the expansion of its photomask blanks business at its two existing photomask blanks plants: the Takefu Plant in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture and the Naoetsu Plant in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.

German chemical company Evonik and Transferra Nanosciences, formerly known as Northern Lipids, have signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the business and assets of the biotechnology company based in Burnaby close to Vancouver/Canada. Both parties have agreed to not disclose the purchase price. The transaction is scheduled to close at the end of July 2016.

Exxon Mobil has increased its holdings in Brazil’s pre-salt basins after it won the Titã exploration block with co-venturer Qatar Petroleum.

The Cabb Group has earmarked an investment figure well into the double-digit million dollar range for expanding its production and storage capacities by the end of 2019. The company plans to further build on its global position as a producer of ultrapure monochloroacetic acid.

Johnson Matthey and Eastman announced that Inner Mongolia Jiutai New Material (Jiutai) has chosen their advanced, proprietary technology for the production of ethylene glycol from coal at its planned 1,000,000 tonnes per annum ethylene glycol facility.

Propagroup’s Propasecard is a stiff card, “cobalt-dichloride free”, with reversible reading spots of the relative humidity (HR), changing the color from blue to rose when a relative humidity level has been exceeded.

New compact and reliable, mechanically sealed centrifugal pumps give the right solution for liquids containing solid particles. Since there are no metal parts on the liquid side, the pumps are ideal for chemicals transfer and circulation in surface treatment industry.

Novozymeswill deliver enzymes for the Dong Energy's Renescience plant in Northwich in the North West of England. It will be the first full-scale bio plant in the world capable of handling household waste by means of enzymes.