In an attempt to speed up the commercialization of new polymers, Chemical Market Resources Inc. has joined with the CID unit of Mexican conglomerate Desc SA de CV to form Innovante, a product development partnership.
Innovante will link the market knowledge of CMR, a Houston-based consulting firm, with the industrial muscle of Desc, a conglomerate with operations ranging from chemicals to auto parts, food and real estate. Desc's plastic holdings include Resirene polystyrene, Dynasol styrenic block copolymers and Plastiglas acrylic sheet. CID works as Desc's research and development arm.
``With Innovante, we'll be able to solve problems and develop new grades,'' CMRI President Balaji Singh said at Flexpo 2004, an industry conference held Sept. 15-17 in Galveston by CMRI. ``We can bring global markets and technology closer together.''
Innovante already is working on a pair of projects, one to find new grades of styrene methyl methacrylate and another to develop new blends of polypropylene and polyphenylene oxide for the appliance market.
Products developed by Innovante can be used internally by Desc businesses or could be licensed or sold to external clients.
Singh said he believes more polymer companies will look to outsource independent R&D as their budgets become more limited and as universities that often cooperated on such projects now look to share in the proceeds.
``Universities are becoming competition,'' he said.