The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, and the threat of future pandemics created by novel viruses is very real. There is a growing need to supply a global market with innovative medicines at a profitable cost. So pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers have to react quickly, while maintaining due levels of diligence and social responsibility. To meet this demand, we at Ima Group operate in highly specialized pharmaceutical divisions, focusing on specific processing and packaging areas, in order to provide our customers real added value based on two main criteria.

Artificial intelligence start-ups have begun to revolutionize the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. With the help of algorithms and ‘Big Data,’ the development time for new drugs is being radically reduced, in some cases from ten to 15 years to just one to one and a half years. The Chinese start-ups with the best prospects are currently being showered with billions of dollars in investment. The general technological trend fueling this development is called bio convergence.

Power-to-X is on everyone’s lips: as energy storage, alternatives to battery-electric mobility or basic raw materials for industrial processes, the conversion of green electricity into material form is a cornerstone of all defossilization strategies. But how realistic is the vision of fuel from the socket? A test plant in Lower Bavaria, Germany, shows that the necessary technologies have long been in the starting blocks.

The automation on a Domina tablet press is a step ahead of other machines as it helps to maximize production and minimize errors. The article elaborates on how Ima Active applies machine learning to set-up a machine automatically, allowing product quality and production efficiency to be of the highest standard and guaranteeing a quick return on customer investment.

Start-Up Companies at Achema — Achema not only wants to be the world’s leading trade fair for the chemical industry, but also to provide a forum for start-ups. Because despite the unbroken innovative power of the industry, start-ups in the chemical industry have a hard time. Is there a lack of recognition, capital or simply the opportunities? Achema wants to change all that.

The energy crisis in China has triggered a price explosion for many chemical products. Around a quarter of all chemical companies in the People’s Republic have had to curtail or temporarily halt production since electricity became scarce in September, Chinese media report.

How good, agile service enhances a company’s reputation and becomes a gateway to the customer?Germany is not a service desert: For pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer Glatt, the after-sales service team is a source of pride. Martin Zemke’s technicians are available around the clock for customers worldwide. In an interview, Zemke reveals what makes the difference.

The digitization train is picking up speed and many companies in the process industry have already jumped on board to gain a competitive edge through a deeper understanding of their production and a better overview of their various systems and locations. In this process, more and more companies are exploiting the fast and pragmatic approaches offered by open-source software. Automation experts, such as those from Wago Kontakttechnik, in a team with system integrators combine sensor systems, gateways, container applications and cloud computing to extract even more information from company processes.

China's largest MDI producer, Wanhua Chemical, continues to expand its market share. The company already dominates the global MDI market ahead of Covestro and BASF. It will continue to expand its capacities in the coming years, reports the Chinese chemical newspaper Zhongguo Huagong Xinxi Zhoukan. What does this mean for the global market?

Covestro, the Chemicals group is planning to cut up to 10 % of jobs worldwide. Up to 1700 jobs across the globe, and more than 900 in Germany might be cut by the end of 2023, according to initial estimates.