Page 166 - CW E-Magazine (13-8-2024)

News from Abroad

DIVESTMENT
Merck to sell pigment business to Chinese firm

for €665-mn

German chemicals and pharma semiconductor and display industries
major, Merck, has agreed to sell its global within Electronics,” added Mr. Kai
Surface Solutions business unit to Beckmann, Member of the Executive
China’s Global New Material International Board of Merck, and CEO Electronics.
(GNMI) for €665-mn in cash.
GNMI, also known under the brand
The Surface Solutions business name Chesir, has sites in China and
offers pigment solutions used in coating, Korea with approximately 800 employees
industrial and cosmetic applications. and is listed on the Hong Kong stock
The business unit generated sales of exchange. GNMI has expertise in effect
€411-mn in 2023. pigments and the rapidly growing and
competitive field of mica-based pro-
Roughly 1,200 employees of the our focus on high-tech applications in ducts.
business, approximately 700 of whom Electronics, such as driving the deve-
are based in Germany, are to be trans- lopment of next-generation chips as GNMI is planning for the Surface
ferred to GNMI as part of the transac- an integrated solutions provider for Solutions business unit to have three
tion. GNMI, one of the largest pearles- our semiconductor customers,” said regional headquarters with one each
cent pigment producers, has agreed to Mr. Belén Garijo, Chair of the Execu- in Germany, the US and Asia, while
job guarantees for the business’ emplo- tive Board and CEO of Merck. maintaining its existing production faci-
yees in Germany and a site guarantee lities in Gernsheim, Germany, Ona-
for Gernsheim until 2032. “The combination of Surface Solu- hama, Japan, and Savannah, Georgia,
tions and GNMI will strengthen the USA. Merck will remain the owner
Merck intends to use the net pro- competitiveness of the business, thus of the property at the Gernsheim site
ceeds from the divestment to further providing better prospects for emplo- with a long-term lease contract with
strengthen its strategic core businesses. yees and customers. At the same time, GNMI and a clear separation plan for
“The divestiture of the Surface Solu- this transaction gives us the opportunity the area used by the Surface Solutions
tions business unit will further sharpen to focus even more intensively on the business.

AIDING INNOVATION
Symrise opens digital co-creation centre in Singapore

German fragrances and flavours spe- the open space with floor-to-ceiling in-
cialist, Symrise, has opened a ‘Digital teractive touch screens along with custo-
Immersion Co-Creation Centre’ in Singa- misable meeting and discussion areas.
pore, which seeks to blend market, Collaborators in the centre can access
consumer and sensory insights with interactive capabilities for simultaneous
cutting-edge technology. collaboration. This includes ‘Symvision
AI’, its proprietary prediction tool for
Symrise said the new centre will flavours, ingredients and claims, as well
“redefine the collaborative landscape in as social listening tools and predictive
food and beverage development and inno- enabled purpose-built space. It aims models for uncovering valuable insights.
vation” and strengthen its taste, nutri- to merge market, sensory and consumer The immersive projection system allows
tion and health expertise in the Asia- insights with product development ex- for an accelerated and multi-sensorial
Pacific region. According to Symrise, the cellence in partnership with customers approach for prototype development,
centre features a high-tech and digitally- and collaborators. Symrise has equipped evaluation and validation.

166 Chemical Weekly August 13, 2024

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