Global lithium chemicals companies Allkem and Livent have reached a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals valuing the combined company at $10.6 billion. The agreement is expected to close by the end of 2023.

IMCD has acquired three companies in recent weeks, two in Israel and one in Colombia. Terms were not disclosed in any of the deals. The three are:

Fujifilm has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire KMG Corporation, the semiconductor high purity process chemicals (HPPC) business of Entegris for $700 million. This will bring it 12 new sites, including seven manufacturing sites in the US, Europe and Singapore, employing about 560.

Evonik has begun construction of a new production plant for alkoxides on Jurong Island in Singapore.

CordenPharma is entering synthetic oligonucleotide manufacturing via an investment at its CordenPharma Colorado site. This will draw on its solid-phase peptide manufacturing experience and downstream processing capabilities to offer a fully integrated drug substance and drug product offer.

DSM and Firmenich have completed their merger and will henceforth operate under the name of DSM-Firmenich. The new company will have about 30,000 employees and will operate in four divisions:

Perfumery & Beauty

* Taste, Texture & Health

EuroAPI has begun an initial, multi-million-Euro, four-year manufacturing agreement with Novéal, part of the L’Oréal Group. Under this, its CDMO business will develop and industrialise the manufacturing of cosmetic ingredients, with a focus on developing eco-responsible processes.