Fine Chemicals, Wiley (2007).介绍？ This book provides an insider’s perspective of the status of the fine-chemical industry, as well as its outlook. It covers all aspects of this dynamic industry, with all of its stakeholders in mind, viz. employees, customers, suppliers, investors, students and educators, media representatives, neighboring communities, public officials, and anyone else who has an interest in industrial context. Safety, health, environmental, and regulatory issues are discussed only briefly, as the related subjects are extensively covered in the specialized literature. The main raison d’être of the fine-chemical industry is to satisfy the product and process development needs of the specialty chemicals, especially the life science (primarily pharmaceutical and agrochemical) industry. Sales outside the chemical industry remain the exception. The fine-chemical industry has evolved mainly because of the rapid growth of the Anglo-Saxon pharmaceutical industry, which traditionally has been more inclined to outsourcing chemical manufacturing than the continental European one—and the increasing complexity of the drug molecules. The roots of both the term “fine chemicals” and the emergence of the industry as a distinct entity date back to the late 1970s, when the overwhelming success of the histamine H2 receptor antagonists Tagamet (cimetidine) and Zantac (ranitidine hydrochloride) created a strong demand for advanced intermediates used in their manufacturing processes. The two drugs cure stomach ulcers, thus eliminating the need for surgical removal of ulcers. As the in-house production capacities of the originators, Smith, Kline & French and Glaxo, could not keep pace with the rapidly increasing requirements, both companies outsourced part of the synthesis to chemical companies in Europe and Japan experienced in producing relatively sophisticated organic molecules. Also, the fledgling generics industry had no captive production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and purchased their requirements. Moreover, the growing complexity of pharmaceutical and agrochemical molecules and the advent of biopharmaceuticals had a major impact on the evolution of the fine-chemical industry as a distinct entity. Custom manufacturing, respectively its counterpart, outsourcing, has remained the Königsdisziplin (i.e., the most prominent activity) of the fine chemical industry and “make or buy” decisions have become an integral part of the supply chain management process. The fine-chemical industry has its own characteristics with regard to R&D, production, marketing, and finance. The total turnover of the largest companies, respectively business units does not exceed a few hundred million dollars per year. The fine-chemical industry supplies advanced intermediates and active substances, frequently on an exclusive basis, to the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and other specialty chemical industries. Further distinctions are batch production in campaigns, high asset intensity, and above-industry-average R&D expenditures. The industry is still located primarily in Europe. Custom manufacturing prevails in northern Europe; the manufacture of active substances for generics, in southern Europe. As of today, the majority of the global $75 billion production value of fine chemicals continues to be covered by captive production, leaving a business potential of $45–$50 billion for the fine-chemical industry . . . on top of the inherent growth of the existing business. Despite this huge business opportunity, the fine-chemical industry is challenged by overcapacity and intense competition. As a result of early riches, many chemical companies sought relief from their dependence on cyclical commodities by diversifying into higher-value-added products, like fine chemicals. At present, the industry is going through two interconnected changes. In terms of geography, Far Eastern “high-skill/low-cost” companies are emerging as serious competitors. In terms of structure, the chemical conglomerates are divesting their (often loss making) fine-chemical businesses. They are becoming mostly privately owned pure players. Although the demand has not grown to the extent initially anticipated, fine chemicals still provide attractive opportunities to well-run companies, which are fostering the critical success factors, namely running fine chemicals as core business, making niche technologies—primarily biotechnology—a part of their business and developing assets in Asia. http://d.namipan.com/d/384b9b8a7 ... ca9ea290fbbfaf3a500 查看更多2个回答 . 4人已关注
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