Paint and Coatings Industry in Vietnam (Q1 2019 report)

1. With one of the fastest growing paint and coatings industries in the South East Asian region, Vietnam has attracted a number of regional and multinational paint and coatings producers to set up their manufacturing base in the country. 

2. With a current low per capita consumption of paint and coatings, Vietnam is expected to register a very steady growth of paint and coatings in coming years.

Product Spotlight - Steel Coil

1. Steel coil- a finished steel product such as sheet or strip which has been wound or coiled after rolling. Steel coils can be classified into  hot and cold- rolled types, or  stainless steel coil, carbon coil and Galvanized Steel according to current products and international standards.

Slight growth in Malaysia general insurance premiums (As at March 2019)

1. Motor continued to drive the local general insurance sector, which recorded a 1.5% growth, underpinned by the jump in car sales during the tax-free period from June to August.

BRI update 2019– Recalibration

Having already transformed large swathes of the developing world over the past five years, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) now looks set to make its mark on the more prosperous regions of Europe.

Underinsured Opportunities and Overpaid Premiums

US LIFE INSURERS MISSING OUT ON $70BN IN PREMIUMS
1. The average life insurance policyholder in the US is massively underinsured, new research has found, with firms potentially missing out on almost $70bn (£53bn) in annual premiums.

U.K. Pensions Survey and Report For 2018

DB PENSIONS TO PAY OUT 1/3 OF A TRILLION POUNDS BY 2021
1. Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the UK are set to pay out almost one-third of a trillion pounds over a three-year period for the first time ever, Mercer has predicted. 

2. The consultancy firm said the record figures between 2019 and 2021 will be due to a large number of active and deferred members transferring the value of their entitlement to another arrangement.

Product Spotlight - NBR - Part 2 - Natural Rubber Vs Nitrile Rubber for Gloves

1. The global rubber gloves industry owes its present boom to the spurt in demand for disposable gloves for hand protection generated by the worldwide spread of infectious diseases. While the disease outbreak was not good for human health, it was good for the glove business.

The demand for medical, industrial and household gloves grew as governments imposed new regulations to increase hygiene and healthcare standards and industries promoted clean room technology.

Traditionally, Natural Rubber (NR) latex glove has been the glove of choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance. Moreover, it is highly biodegradable and can be easily disposed of by incineration.

Product Spotlight - NBR - Part 1 - Overview

GENERAL OVERVIEW
1. Traditionally, Natural Rubber (NR) latex glove has been the glove of choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance. Moreover, it is highly biodegradable and can be easily disposed of by incineration.

Product Spotlight - Bio-Lubricants

1. Bio based chemicals have been used for niche applications such as personal care and food additives. However, various new applications of bio based chemicals such as bio-lubricants, biopolymers, and bio-surfactants are emerging as replacements of petroleum based products creating exciting growth opportunities.

2. Chemical companies focusing on lubricants, polymers, and surfactants can explore diversifying their product portfolio based on bio based products. 

Indonesia Jumps Rank in Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2018 ; Disruption in the Logistic Industry

in 2018, Indonesia managed to rise sharply in the ranks of the World Bank's latest Logistics Performance Index (LPI). Indonesia ranked 46th, up from 63rd in the preceding edition (released in 2016).

Product Spotlight - Conductive Thermoplastic Compounds

1. Polymers are typical insulation materials due to their extremely low electrical conductivity. They charge very easily and even when grounded the plastic material stays charged with static electricity. Conductive plastic compounds, unlike normal plastics, have the ability to conduct electricity.

Scaling your Manufacturing Activities When Opportunities Arise

1. In today’s demanding market environment, those companies that are best prepared to react to sudden market openings will have the best chance for success. 

2. Imagine that a major competitor suddenly goes out of business. Are you really ready to grab its share of the market before someone else jumps in ahead of you? Or do you just hope that you are ready to pounce?

3. Whether your company’s expansion is opportunistic or has been under consideration for a while, to achieve your goal, you’ll need to have a plan that allows you to respond to sudden market changes. Your plan should map out how all the resources in your organization will work in a coordinated effort to win and expand your market share at the least expense to you.

Product Spotlight - Electrically Conductive Polymers

1. Traditionally, one of the only drawbacks of plastic has been its lack of electrical conductivity. But, that’s starting to change with hybrid materials that can be processed with traditional production methods.

India and France to overtake UK in GDP rankings

1. Both India and France are likely to overtake the UK in the rankings of the world’s largest economies next year, with Britain falling from fifth to seventh place.

Palm Oil Industry in 2018

Palm oil is literally everywhere – in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuels.

Product Spotlight - Recycled Food Grade Resin

1. The approach to sustainable packaging and the future of plastics in packaging.

2. With public interest in the impacts of plastic leakage into the natural environment soaring, it becomes easy to lose sight of why plastics are used in the first place. As materials, plastics are light-weight, strong, versatile, cheap and hygienic, and so they have significant benefits for the packaging industry. Without plastics, it would be difficult for consumers to enjoy the sheer range of choice that exists in the market today.

Principles, Ideas and Discussion on Transit-Oriented Development

TOD is the key to more efficient, sustainable, and equitable communities because it prioritizes the “3Cs”: compact, coordinated and connected. By following a TOD approach, decision makers and urban planners can strengthen their communities.

Survey on Defined Benefit Pension Plan & Insurer's Outlook On Investment Returns

1. A defined benefit pension plan is a type of pension plan in which an employer/sponsor promises a specified pension payment, lump-sum (or combination thereof) on retirement that is predetermined by a formula based on the employee's earnings history, tenure of service and age, rather than depending directly on individual investment returns. 

2. Traditionally, many governmental and public entities, as well as a large number of corporations, provided defined benefit plans, sometimes as a means of compensating workers in lieu of increased pay.

3. Over time, these plans may face deficits or surpluses between the money currently in their plans and the total amount of their pension obligations. Contributions may be made by the employee, the employer, or both. In many defined benefit plans the employer bears the investment risk and can benefit from surpluses.

[U.S. China Trade War] Opportunity for Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is seeing a boom in foreign direct investment as the intensifying trade war between the U.S. and China prompts companies to shift production to the region.

Product Spotlight - Bio Plastics - Part 3 - Plastic Spectrum and Biodegradability

Generally, “bioplastic” are made from renewable resources such as corn, sugars, potatoes, etc. There are four types of degradable plastics