Asia

As ships get bigger, more sophisticated, more specialised and more efficient at moving cargo, a new industry has grown up around operating and crewing them. Managing director of Thome Ship Management, Bjorn Hojgaard, explains to John O’Hanlon how the company is handling a step-up in scale.

The 1980s saw the emergence of developing regions, none more so than South East Asia. This development brought a rising demand for construction and laid the foundations for Trepax Innovation. Director Paul Greenhalgh gives Andrew Pelis an insight into how the business has evolved since Thailand’s “Tiger economy” was born.

The L’Oréal Group cares about more than making women beautiful. Vishal Sahgal, industrial director of the Pune manufacturing facility, talks to Jayne Alverca about the importance of promoting sustainable development.

The operator of Scotland’s Grangemouth oil refinery has struck a deal with PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer, to safeguard the future of the facility.

The joint venture between Grangemouth operator Ineos and PetroChina will see the two companies working together and sharing skills, though the specific details have yet to be drawn up.

Around 1,400 workers are employed at Grangemouth, with an estimated 7,000 jobs at other firms, particularly in central Scotland, being dependent on the plant.

Israel’s Koor Industries has announced the sale of its subsidiary MA Industries, the world’s biggest maker of crop protection chemicals, to China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina).

The deal, which values MA at $2.4 billion, will see Koor retain 40 per cent of the maker of fungicides, pesticides and herbicides. ChemChina will buy the 53 per cent of MA currently held by the public for $1.27 billion, and will pay Koor $168 million for an additional seven per cent.

Royal Dutch Shell and Russia's Gazprom have signed a co-operation agreement that will see them exploring for more oil together in western Siberia and the far east of Russia.

As part of the deal, Shell has agreed to let Gazprom share some of its overseas projects in return for Shell being allowed to develop the third and fourth stages of the Sakhalin project in Sakhalin Island, Russia. Sakhalin 3 alone contains 1.4 trillion cubic metres of gas.

London-listed mining group Vedanta Resources has reported an 83 per cent jump in its first-half profits, aided by higher metals prices.

Pre-tax profits rose to $1.1 billion (approximately £685 million) from $605 million during the same period last year, on revenues of $4.6 billion (approx. £2.9 billion), which rose by 54 per cent.

Vedanta said it saw record production of zinc-lead, aluminium, iron ore and silver. Emerging markets continued to drive the global economy, resulting in price rises across most commodities, the company said.

UK mobile telecoms giant Vodafone has continued with its drive to sell off minority assets, with the sale of its stake in Japanese telecoms group Softbank for £3.1 billion.

Vodafone’s stake in Softbank was left over from the £8.9 billion sale of Vodafone Japan in 2006. The Japanese carrier will now buy back Vodafone’s interests.