BASF

Part 4 – Regulations: Regulatory moves keep the industry on its toes again in 2014 / Restrictions on plastic bags dominate the discussion / BPA and phthalates still a topic / Flame retardant issues still smoulder / Recycling guidelines make headway

Breaking ground on new Mumbai-based Innovation Campus / EUR 50m investment

New TDI line in Dormagen now officially on stream / Position as global market leader reinforced

Strategic cooperation with Kazanorgsintez / Supply of plastics additives and technical support for HDPE

Kevin McQuade to take over as CEO on 1 January / Roberto Gualdoni steps down for personal reasons

PIE speaks to ECPI's sector group manager Stéphane Content about the European plasticisers market / Media wrongly group all phthalates together as harmful / Sustainability a key focus / REACH implementation should be balanced and pragmatic

European EPS, XPS portfolio switched to PolyFR nine months ahead of REACH deadline

World's largest MDI producer commissions new line in Yantai / Smaller old facility shuttered

Ineos acquires BASF's 50% stake in styrenics joint venture

Higher prices for plastics additives

CEO lifts overall forecast for 2014 / BMS sales rise on volume gains but EBITDA margin recedes

Tokyo chosen as location for second "designfabrik" / Focus on automotive applications

Management reshuffle / Sanjeev Gandhi promoted to executive board / Stefan Blank as new head of Intermediates / Performance Chemicals to go to Christian Fischer in 2015

EBITDA up 1% in Q3 / Moerdijk outage hits European chemicals / Outlook for 2015 revised downward as global economy cools / German outlook negative / Shale bolsters North America

Expansion of PBT portfolio / Carbon fibre-reinforced Ultradur now available / Automotive industry targeted

Solvay CEO Clamadieu elected president of Cefic

Trade fair breaks new records / AVK Conference to be managed in future by Composites Germany / Technical development dominated by automation in auto and aircraft construction / Machinery manufacturers strongly represented

Podesta new senior vice president of BASF Dispersions & Pigments in North America

Integrated PU production hub in India's Guharat state officially inaugurated / Dahej site boasts South Asia's first MDI splitter

German manufacturer loses second PLA-based carrier bag lawsuit / Appeal to federal court

Middle East drives production growth in EMEA / Region consumed 5.8m t last year / Steady gains / Flexible foam most dominant end application / Latest IAL Consultants report

Bio-based acrylic acid a step closer to reality / Collaboration with Novozyme and Cargill

Butadiene plant in Antwerp is brought on stream / Securing internal supply

Agreement on PolyFR joint venture / HBCD-free flame retardants for the European market

Global hike for pigments and dyes