Company Dynamic

BASF and Group14 have unveiled a next-generation lithium battery solution that dramatically enhances performance through a powerful pairing of advanced materials.

Orafol Group is making a major move with a €160 million investment in expanding its headquarters in Oranienburg, Germany.

Bayer is taking drastic steps to restructure its crop protection operations in Germany, with plans to cease production at its Frankfurt site and scale down activities in Dormagen by the end of 2028.

INEOS announced the sale of its INEOS Hygienics health care business to Middle East-based SKG Capital Partners. As part of the transaction, the business and team will be transferred to SKG Capital Partners, opening a new chapter for the brand.

• INEOS

DyStar, a specialty chemicals company with more than a century of experience in product development and innovation, announced the discontinuation of DyStar Hilton Davis operations and the consolidation of some production

• DyStar

Iraqi Minister of Industry and Mines Khalid Battar Najim launched the implementation of two major industrial projects in Basra on May 14, marking a major boost to the industrial development of Iraq's "economic capital".

• Iraqi
• China

The investment includes $100 million for its biologics division, with a significant portion allocated to expanding manufacturing capacity in Malaysia, and $50 million for generics.

Bayer Group kicked off 2025 with a steady yet mixed performance, as CEO Bill Anderson emphasized the year’s significance and complexity in Tuesday’s financial report.

Starting May 1, 2025, the new GB 55038-2025 Residential Project Code officially took effect in China, introducing compulsory acoustic standards for residential buildings.

On May 12, Clariant revealed it had been served with a new lawsuit from Dow Europe, seeking €767 million in damages over alleged violations in the ethylene purchasing market.

On May 8, Wanhua Chemical unveiled its 2024 shareholder meeting materials, revealing a 35% reduction in total planned investment for 2025, down to ¥29.43 billion.

Adjusted EBITDA rose to €560 million, a 7% increase over the strong results from the same period last year. Even more notably, free cash flow soared 53% year-on-year to €195 million, well above the €127 million achieved in Q1 2024.

The company recorded a 1.0% decline in organic sales, largely due to ongoing geopolitical conflicts and macroeconomic pressure, with North America hit hardest by weakened demand and low consumer sentiment.

Wanhua Chemical revealed in its May 8 shareholder meeting documents that its 2025 total planned investment will drop to RMB 29.43 billion, down nearly 35% from 2024’s actual investment of RMB 42.83 billion.

On May 12, Kansai Paint reported its financial results for fiscal year 2025, revealing a record-high revenue of ¥588.8 billion (approximately $3.85 billion or RMB 27.85 billion), up 4.7% year-on-year.

Jotun Group started 2025 with solid momentum, posting Q1 sales of NOK 8.571 billion (approx. USD 803.6 million), reflecting a 6.4% year-on-year increase.

A former sales rep has accused Novartis of paying tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks to physicians to promote its multiple sclerosis drug, fingolimod.

Pfizer and its subsidiary Biohaven will pay $59.7 million to settle allegations involving unlawful payments to healthcare providers to boost sales of the migraine medication Nurtec ODT.

AkzoNobel is taking aggressive action to reduce Scope 3 emissions, revealing a new collaboration with BASF that enables the use of bio-based raw materials in decorative paints across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

With Pluriol A 2400 I, BASF’s Industrial Formulations division has expanded its portfolio of reactive polyethylene glycols for polycarboxylate ethers (PCEs) for the European construction industry.

• Pluriol A 2400 I
• BASF