Strengthening its presence in Asia, Rosti has established a subsidiary, Rosti Integrated Manufacturing Solutions (IMS), located in Senai in southern Malaysia. The move follows the company’s moves into China in 2001 and India in 2008. Rosti IMS has a facility of 5,000 sq m and will employ up to 150 people by the end of 2012.

Indian firm Jain Irrigation Systems will invest US$375 million over the next few years to build sustainable agriculture that will improve income of small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The company, a pioneer in drip irrigation tubing, announced that it will partner with African nations including Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Ghana, Cote d’lvoire and Nigeria to invest in the supplying irrigation systems for small farmers in the region.

In other news, Jain said it plans to sell water valves and fittings from Germany-based Talis Management Holdings. The deal will add Talis products including hydraulic control valves, butterfly valves, gate valves and fittings to its micro irrigation product line.

BOPP producer Taghleef Industries has acquired Applied Extrusion Technologies (AET), a US-based manufacturer of specialised BOPP films. Based in Dubai, Taghleef has operations in the UAE, Oman, Egypt, Australia, Italy and Hungary and distribution centres in the US, China and Germany. AET purchased the BOPP films division of Hercules in 1994 and offers a wide range of flexible packaging films for labelling, food and non-food applications. The company has two production facilities and two R&D centre in the US.

Sabic has shipped its first consignment of ethanolamines and ethoxylates from its manufacturing plant in Jubail, Saudi Kayan, making Saudi Arabia the first ever country in the Middle East to produce and market these advanced products.

Rome-based Assobioplastiche and Bangkok-based Thai Bioplastics Industry Association have formed a five-year agreement to carry out R&D of bioplastics. The agreement outlines four areas of cooperation: Sharing knowledge in industrial compositing and waste management; Establishing certification systems and quality standards; Implementing joint initiatives for research, market development and environmental policies; and developing business, training and networking initiatives.

US-based specialised polymer materials provider PolyOne announced the opening of its innovation centre in Shanghai, China. The innovation centre has doubled in size and added new capabilities that will enable the company to better collaborate and develop customer-centred innovations.

The centre features a showroom for displaying how colour and special effects can impact different shapes, textures and materials, a technology training facility and advanced equipment to expand capabilities in textile, fibre applications and molecular-level material analysis.

Strengthening its presence in Asia, Rosti has established a subsidiary, Rosti Integrated Manufacturing Solutions (IMS), located in Senai in southern Malaysia.

Indian firm Jain Irrigation Systems will invest US$375 million over the next few years to build sustainable agriculture that will improve income of small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

BOPP producer Taghleef Industries has acquired Applied Extrusion Technologies (AET), a US-based manufacturer of specialised BOPP films.

Sabic has shipped its first consignment of ethanolamines and ethoxylates from its manufacturing plant in Jubail, Saudi Kayan, making Saudi Arabia

Rome-based Assobioplastiche and Bangkok-based Thai Bioplastics Industry Association have formed a five-year agreement to carry out R&D of bioplastics.

US-based specialised polymer materials provider PolyOne announced the opening of its innovation centre in Shanghai, China.