Czech Republic-based J&T MS 1 SICAV has sent a public letter to the board of TiO₂ producer Venator Materials highly critical of the firm’s strategic direction and demanding additional independent shareholder representation. J&T is the second largest shareholder in Venator, with a stake of 14.3%.

Since an IPO in August 2017, the letter states, Venator’s share price has fallen by about 96% from a peak of $25.50 to less than $1. In November 2022, the company was warned that it faces a potential delisting from the New York Stock Exchange.

A subsidiary of Indian speciality chemicals company Dorf Ketal has acquired Fluid Energy Group’s global modified and synthetic acid business, including the Triton industrial business. This business, which is based in Alberta and turned over about $60 million in 2022, makes these acids for sectors including water treatment, energy and petroleum, mining, industrial, consumer, and food and beverage.

The CABB Group has said that it will invest over €50 million by 2025 to expand facilities at its agrochemical manufacturing site in Kokkola, Finland. Eight new chemical reactors and a new packaging plant were commissioned in September, largely as a result of a long-term supply contract with a new customer from the crop protection industry. Further ‘double-digit millions’ investments are currently being made or in the pipeline.

UK-based CDMO Sterling Pharma Solutions has completed the acquisition of Novartis’ API facility in Ringaskiddy, near Cork, Ireland. The deal includes an on-going supply agreement to make APIs for cardiovascular, immunology and oncology medicines for Novartis. No financial details were disclosed.

Chemours is to invest $200 million to increase capacity and advance technology for its Nafion brand ion exchange materials at the site in Villers-Saint-Paul, France. The investment is subject to obtaining the necessary permits and licences for construction and operations. It includes ionomers and associated membranes.

Heraeus Precious Metals and Sweden’s Hulteberg have agreed on a strategic partnership to jointly develop and commercialize a variety of catalysts that are required for the operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). These are said to represent a promising technology for the electrochemical conversion of hydrogen and fuels into electricity.

Granules India and Greenko ZeroC have formed a strategic partnership to promote ‘integrated green pharmaceutical zones’. The first part will be a 40-hectare greenfield facility at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, for large-scale manufacturing of key starting materials, intermediates, APIs and fermentation-based products, including DCDA, PAP, paracetamol and metformin.