Chemours has divided its former Fluoroproducts segment into two new reportable segments under newly appointed presidents. The aim was to facilitate “an enhanced customer-centred approach, management focus and decision-making, strengthened resource allocation, and increased transparency and accountability”, the company said.

UK-based CDMO Arcinova has been acquired by Quotient Sciences, a ‘drug development and manufacturing accelerator’ that is itself owned by private equity firm Permira. BGF, which had part-owned Arcinova since 2018, will withdraw from its minority stake. Terms were not disclosed.

DuPont, its spin-off company Chemours, and Corteva, which unites DuPont’s and Dow’s former agrochemicals businesses, have agreed a settlement on all legal disputes concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) arising out of the spin-off of Chemours in 2015.

The board of Swedish-based CDMO Recipharm has unanimously recommended that shareholders accept a revised offer for the firm from Roar BidCo, a vehicle set up by investment organisation EQT IX and backed by chairman Lars Backsell and CEO Thomas Eldered. The offer period ends on 12 February. Roar BidCo has said that it does not plan any changes to the management team or for employees.

The world’s two largest speciality chemical distributors, Brenntag and Univar Solutions, have both concluded further acquisitions, disposals and deals in 2021. This follows on from numerous such advances by their rivals, Azelis and IMCD, in 2020.

Two Western players, Italy’s Italmatch Chemicals and Colonial Chemicals of the US, have recently signed investment plans that will see them manufacturing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the wider Gulf region. Terms were not disclosed in either case.

Together with Biolab Arabia, Genoa-based Italmatch has created a 60-40 joint venture called Italmatch Biolab Industrial. This will make performance additives for applications in water and process treatment, and the oil and gas sector, with a focus on thermal and membrane based desalination, at Al-Jubail.

Enzymes giant Novozymes has revealed that it is diversifying into biocontrol in agriculture. The company said that it sees this emerging sector as having huge growth potential, as pests continue to cause billions of dollars in damage to crops every year while pressure is continuing to restrict the use of chemical pesticides.