Despite lower earnings last year for US, European and Asian chemical companies, R&D spending increased and capital spending was mixed. Total aggregated capital spending in 2008 among the 21 US chemical firms tracked by Chemical & Engineering News increased 18.6% to $10,782 million. Last year, R&D spending for these 21 chemical companies increased 6.0% to […]
Several prestigious US universities are cutting back on expenses following endowment losses. University endowments declined 24% in the second half of 2008, according to the Commonfund Institute. The endowment for Harvard University, the richest US university, contributed 35% of the school’s annual revenue last fiscal year, but lost 30% of its value in fiscal 2009. […]
One of the enduring features of the analytical and life science instrument industry is its steadfastness. Although sales ebb and flow based on changes in applications and market requirements, they seldom exhibit significant year-to-year fluctuations. Unfortunately, 2009 appears to be a glaring exception. In January, when the 2009 IBO forecast issue was researched and published […]
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released its new guidelines for stem cell research earlier this month. The guidelines make available more than 700 stem cell lines for research, compared to the 20 lines previously available. In 2008, $88 million of the NIH’s $938 million budget for stem cell research went to research using human […]
A ruling in late June by the US Supreme Court is expected to result in more crime lab analysts having to testify at trial. In a 5-to-4 decision, the Court ruled that the confrontation clause of the US Constitution’s Sixth Amendment entitles criminal defendants to confront witnesses against them. As a result, lab analysts may […]
More than 30 standards were adopted by the Codes Alimentarius Commission (Codex) at its meeting this month. Established by the United Nations and World Health Organization, Codex develops global food standards. The new standards include guidance addressing acrylamide formation in potato products and the contamination of coffee by Ochratoxin A, a fungal toxin. The first […]
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) estimates that the chemical industry’s downturn is moderating. The ACC forecasts worldwide chemical output to fall 6.3% this year, before increasing 2.8% in 2010 and 4.0% in 2011. By geographic region, Africa and the Middle East are expected to be the strongest in 2009, with output declining only 1.4%. In […]
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) held its Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Anaheim, California, June 5–10. More than 14,500 food scientists and other food professionals attended the show, representing a 10% increase in attendance over last year. Although the primary focus of the show is on food processing, ingredients and products, there are […]
An online survey of 800 chemical industry executives conducted by ICIS and Genomatica in May indicates that sustainable chemistry is gaining momentum. Fifty-seven percent of respondents stated that their companies are already conforming with green chemistry practices, and 47% of respondents said their companies are using renewable feedstocks in manufacturing. Green chemistry is a priority […]
The semiconductor equipment market should begin to improve later this year, having reached bottom in the second quarter. Capital spending by the semiconductor industry is estimated to decline 44.8% this year to $24.3 billion, before rebounding in 2010 to grow 20.9% to $29.4 billion. Capital equipment spending is expected to fall 45.8% this year to […]
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IBO (Instrument Business Outlook) is a twice-monthly newsletter aimed at providing decision-makers with the latest and most complete information available on the life science and analytical instrument industry, and lab product markets. IBO delivers the latest curated industry news, information and trends, as well as SDi data and analysis to deliver the maximum in industry insight with a minimum time investment for executives and investors.
