According to a survey of 4,733 businesses, the UK’s Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) spending grew 8.1% in constant dollars to £17.4 billion ($28.2 billion) in 2011. BERD spending increased 8.3%, 9.0%, 11.2% and 9.4% in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively. Businesses themselves increased BERD spending 12.0% to account for 65% of total spending. […]

This month, the EPA released final amendments to clean air standards for industrial boilers and certain incinerators, as well as a new definition of nonhazardous secondary materials. Of the 1.5 million boilers in the US, less than 1% will need to meet numerical emission limits, which differ among the different subcategories of boilers, and 13% […]

Jena, Germany and Osaka, Japan 12/3/12—Analytik Jena has purchased a 21.1% stake in Japanese firm Techno X. Analytik Jena has sold Techno X’s X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) instruments in Japan since October 2011 (see IBO 12/31/11). “We are also pleased that the sales partnership in which we are linking our partner’s technological expertise in X-ray […]

Millville, NJ 12/20/12; Pittsburgh, PA 12/21/12—Wheaton Industries, a supplier of laboratory products, has acquired MicroLiter Analytical Supplies for an undisclosed amount. MicroLiter Analytical Supplies provides pre-cleaned chromatography sample vials and accessories for use with autosamplers, as well as septa and closures and the MicroLiter Plate Sampling System. MicroLiter Analytical Supplies’ Instrument Top Sample Preparation products […]

Abingdon, UK 12/17/12; Santa Barbara, CA 12/17/12; Abingdon, UK 12/19/12—Oxford Instruments has acquired Asylum Research, a supplier of scanning probe microscopes (SPMs), for $32.0 million, with a deferred payment of up to $48.0 million payable over three years depending on performance. In 2011, Asylum recorded revenues of $19.6 million and EBIT of $1.1 million. Approximately […]

Waltham, MA 12/21/12—Thermo Fisher Scientific has acquired picoSpin, the developer of the picoSpin-45 miniature NMR. “Bringing NMR capabilities to new markets where its practicality has been limited represents significant value for our customers,” commented John Sos, vice president and general manager for Molecular Spectroscopy at Thermo. The company will be integrated into the Analytical Technologies […]

Hercules, CA 12/16/12; Munich, Germany 12/16/12—Bio-Rad Laboratories has agreed to acquire MorphoSys’s AbD Serotec division for €53 million ($70 million = €0.76 = $1) in cash. AbD Serotec sells antibodies for research and diagnostic applications. “With this acquisition, Bio-Rad will have access to a comprehensive catalog of antibodies allowing us to better serve our customers […]

India’s most recent Five-Year Plan, the 12th Five-Year Plan, was approved by the National Development Council on December 27. Five-Year Plans, created, implemented and monitored by India’s Planning Commission, outline budget estimates for different agencies, as well as address areas and list initiatives that the government will prioritize for the next five years. The most […]