Competitiveness 
James Dyson, inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has said the UK’s pool of creative talent and ingenuity can help the country find prosperity again, but only if government policy supports science and engineering and technology business start-ups. Dyson has prepared the “Ingenious Britain” report at the request of David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party.
11 March 2010
Outdated perceptions by manufacturers about the cost of investing in design technology are hampering their business growth, according to Autodesk.
10 March 2010
Cardiff-based Amadeus Associates, manufacturer of the Anywayup cup for toddlers, has been bought out of administration by four of its directors.
10 March 2010
The National Skills Academy Process Industries has launched a ‘pay as you go’ Business Partner scheme, with a view to giving businesses access to affordable training and skills support from top process industry experts.
8 March 2010
Ineos, the world's third largest chemical group, is considering a relocation of its headquarters and tax residence from the UK to Switzerland. It said potential cash tax savings would be €450m between now and 2014 if it went ahead with the move, but said it would remain committed to its UK businesses.
5 March 2010
The alliance of Eight Associations from the plastics, rubber, coatings and associated machinery and toolmaking sectors have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, attempting to influence his Budget later this month.
5 March 2010
EuPC, the Brussels trade body for plastics converters, has urged European Union legislators to “get policy on plastics right; otherwise there will be widespread damaging effects on user and supply industries”.
4 March 2010
Flexible film packaging prices are set to rise in the UK, as increases in raw material costs can no longer be absorbed by producers, says the Packaging and Films Association. Polymer prices are continuing to rise.
2 March 2010
British Polythene Industries (BPI) has reported a 200% jump in pre-tax profits for 2009 – £11.8m, up from £3.9m in 2008. The results are partly due to cost reductions and a restructuring that saw the closure of its Stockton operation.
1 March 2010
2009 was not the best of times for Bayer AG’s Bayer MaterialScience unit, including the firm’s polycarbonate and polyurethane businesses.
1 March 2010
Husky Injection Molding Systems, the Ontario-based maker of injection moulding machines, robots, PET pre-form moulds and hot runners, generated 2009 sales of C$1.1bn billion ($994m), a decline of 12% from 2008 sales of C$1.3bn.
1 March 2010
LyondellBasell is to close its polypropylene plant in Terni, Italy, eliminating about 120 jobs.
26 February 2010
French chemical Rhodia predicts operating profit will rise 35% in 2010, thanks to increases in volume sales and continuing cost cuts, despite posting a 45% drop in operating profit for 2009.
25 February 2010
BASF was back into profit in Q4, which the company puts down to improvements in the global economy and its cost-saving measures. The chemicals giant reported earnings of €455m from October to December compared with a loss of €313m for the same period in 2008.
25 February 2010
DuPont is expecting big things from its performance polymers unit in 2010 according to president Diane Gulyas who said its sales should grow more than 12% during the year, with pre-tax operating profit margin growing as well.
25 February 2010
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