Samsung Electronics, AsiaÔÇÖs biggest maker of semiconductors, has announced it is to make a $3.6 billion investment in expanding capacity at its 12-inch chip plant in Austin, Texas.  The new facilities will be used to make large scale integration (LSI) chips. The company also plans to add 500 jobs at the plant, which is run by the Samsung Austin Semiconductor LLC unit.

Masdar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi's Mubadala investment company, will join FranceÔÇÖs Total and SpainÔÇÖs Abengoa Solar in spending $600 million (Ôé¼504.2 million) on building the worldÔÇÖs largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant.

Canadian miner Uranium One is selling a controlling stake to a Russian state-owned corporation in exchange for interests in two Kazakhstan uranium mines, plus US$610 million in cash.  Through the deal, Uranium One will acquire a 50 percent interest in Akbastau and a 49.67 percent interest in Zarechnoye from JSC Atomredmetzoloto, known as ARMZ. In return ARMZ, which already holds 23.1 percent of Uranium One's outstanding shares, will increase its stake in the Vancouver-based miner to at least 51 percent.

France Telecom and 19 partners will invest $700 million (approx. Ôé¼585 million) in bringing high-speed internet to 20 countries in western Africa, it has been announced.

Compton Petroleum has sold $150 million worth of natural gas production, located mostly in west-central Alberta, in an effort to reduce its debt levels. Compton said the properties, which are located in the Niton and Gilby areas, produce around 3,100 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per dayÔÇöaround 15 percent of the 19,800 boe per day it produced in the first quarter of this year. Together, they represent proven and probable reserves of around 9.4 million barrels.

Swiss-Swedish electrical engineering group ABB has made an offer to buy the UK maker of specialised electrical equipment, Chloride, for £860 million.

Spain's Grifols has agreed to buy North Carolina-based Talecris Biotherapeutics for $3.4 billion, it has been announced.  The Madrid-based company is buying Talecris, which makes blood plasma drugs, as part of its strategy to expand its business in blood products.  Grifols, which specializes in plasma protein therapies and is present in more than 90 countries, said on Monday it expected about $230 million in annual synergies from the deal, which is also expected to boost earnings from the first year.

Spain's Grifols has agreed to buy US-based Talecris Biotherapeutics for Ôé¼2.8 billion, it has been announced.

Martin Ashcroft revisits HJ Heinz to see how the culture changing Heinz Global Performance System is driving sustainable continuous improvement through its sites all over the world.

When I last wrote about HJ Heinz two years ago ¹, Gary Thomas, Director of Global Continuous Improvement and Risk Management, told me how lean and six sigma were being used to drive a step change in performance in the company’s North American production facilities.

The Ledcor Group has roots as deep as the oil, gas and natural resources it has long helped its clients mine from beneath the earth in Western Canada. The company got its start in 1947 when founder William Lede built the access road and well site for Leduc No. 1, the rig that led to Imperial Oil's famous discovery of oil in the province of Alberta.