Until recently, the dominant view of logistics within the chemicals industry has been a traditional one, with third party logistics providers (3PLs) fulfilling the role of suppliers rather than business partners. Now, however, in an industry that is seeing raw material price increases, accelerating energy costs and a tightening of logistics capacity, supply chain innovation needs to be embraced.

Before answering the question in the title, it is instructive to review the definition of some of the vocabulary used in the question. Let us focus on ‘business’, ‘safety’ and ‘holistic’

High performance seals specialist, Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE) is now offering chemical engineers an independent materials consultancy and laboratory service for seal selection and testing. The past years have seen a tremendous change of approaches to chemical engineering, a veritable paradigm shift. The process industries have for years operated internationally. A number of countries are now developing a process industry for the first time and need to find their way in overcoming the inevitable problems associated with project execution. Paul Finnegan of Maxsys Limited, outlines the existing emission cutting successes of the European chemical industry and the opportunities available to those who wish to promote their successes. AchemAsia 2007 (International Exhibition-Congress on Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology), will be held from 14–18th May 2007 in Beijing, in the People’s Republic of China The Materials Technology Institute (MTI) will hold a two-day conference focused on Risk Based Inspection (RBI), 26th–27th February 2007, as part of its Winter Meeting in Galveston Texas, USA. For chemical and process plant engineers the integrity and performance of assets is a key requirement to the safe and efficient manufacture, storage and distribution of products. Some 4000 exhibitors from 50 countries and nearly 200000 visitors from 100 nations including 40000 decision makers are expected to attend Achema 2006. TONE monomers, polyols and polymers from Dow are homopolymers of e-caprolactone, a seven-membered ring compound. The product family originally consisted of two high molecular weight polymers and one of low molecular weight. Plastics are a critical part of not only our company, but also our individual lives. To a large extent, plastics define our standard of living. It touches every aspect of society. Demand for automation and control solutions in the chemical sector is being hampered by twin factors of chemical production moving overseas, and the absence of new chemical plants being set up in the western states of the European Union. Valued at E4.70billion in 2004, the European polymer foams market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2percent to reach E6.71billion in 2011. The global economy continues to grow – especially in the USA and in Asia. But irrespective of favourable business impulses worldwide, the economy in Europe and in particular in Germany does not get going. next