Resources
Chemicals
● Interview: Lisa Urquhart talks to Dow Corning’s Stephanie Burns
● China: Geoff Dyer on the dangers of all-out growth
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Content
Industry tries to grapple with capacity and demand
No one can work out when the good times will end, reports Lisa Urquhart.
Mergers and acquisitions: Activity returns to the sector but with a renewed focus
Today, companies are not just chasing size but seeking to enter new product areas. Also, they are careful not to overpay, writes Gerrit Wiesmann.
Stephanie Burns, Dow Corning: A nudge from a manager led to a fresh path
Lisa Urquhart profiles the silicone group’s boss who left her research job and rarely looked back.
Former Soviet Union: Full of potential but needs to mature
The industry suffers from its fragmented state, says Ross Tieman.
Lucite International: Advantages of the Alpha system are clear
Lisa Urquhart profiles the Teesside group and its revolutionary simplified two-stage manufacturing process.
China: Safety worries are the flip side of success
Contamination comes about because local officials are rewarded for growth, not upholding environmental standards, reports Geoff Dyer.
Lanxess: When you’re at the bottom, the only way to go is up
The boss of the spin-out has a refreshingly honest approach, explains Lisa Urquhart.
Iran: Positioned to make an impact on the world stage
The country has big ambitions but also a record of project delays and suffers from political uncertainty, says Scheherazade Daneshkhu.
EU regulation: Smaller companies have yet to wake up to the scale of the task ahead
The new rules poses a challenge not just for the industry but the agency that will have to administer them, reports Tobias Buck.
Energy costs: Companies face double whammy
Electricity is needed for processing, and oil and gas as feedstock, says Rebecca Bream.
