Infineum presents current trends in the petroleum additives industry as part of global conference roadshow

Citation

(2003), "Infineum presents current trends in the petroleum additives industry as part of global conference roadshow", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 55 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2003.01855aac.001

Infineum presents current trends in the petroleum additives industry as part of global conference roadshow

Infineum presents current trends in the petroleum additives industry as part of global conference roadshow

Keywords: Infineum, Petroleum additives, Conferences

Technological innovation, global strategic thinking and cross-industry pooling of information and resources are all essential catalysts for companies working at the forefront of today’s rapidly evolving automotive industry.

With the pace of industry change showing no sign of abating and with an ever present backdrop of tightening legislation, successful organisations are those which can convert the power of change to their advantage.

So claimed global petroleum additives enterprise, Infineum, at its recent biennial Trends conference.

The event, which has been staged across Europe, The Americas and Asia Pacific, attracted a delegation of leading OEMs and key figures from across the petroleum industry.

Speaking at Trends, London, Infineum’s spokespeople, told delegates: “In our fast moving world, the forces of change never rest. Gearing up for the future is the collective responsibility of OEMs, oil companies and additive producers alike. Open communication and information sharing is crucial to help us respond to change both positively and innovatively and in turn convert obstacles to opportunities.”

While highlighting the positive effects advances in engine design, catalyst systems and fuel and oil formulations are having on air quality and emissions, Infineum went on to issue a stark warning about the current structure of additive companies across the world.

“The past few years have seen considerable consolidation in the automotive, oil and additive industries. The objectives of these strategic alliances have been to drive corporate profitability and in turn increase investment in product development.” The real picture, however, is somewhat different. Over the past 10 years, the additive industry has spent between 8 and 10 per cent of its sales revenue on technology development – over twice the investment of other speciality chemical businesses and roughly four times the spending rate of the commodity chemicals businesses.

“The additive industry cannot continue with the current rate of technology spending without sufficient time between new categories to recoup investments. Improved cross-industry processes and working relationships must be developed to ensure timely delivery of new technology whilst still allowing additive companies to have sufficient return on their investments to allow them to continue investing in their businesses. It is only through this model, that we can continue to deliver true value to end users”, the company concluded.

Also covered at Infineum’s Trends conference was an analysis of emissions, alternative fuels, new technologies, transmissions and crankcase lubricants.

For further information on the event, please contact: Malcolm Rose. Tel: +44 1235 549 509 or E-mail: Malcolm.Rose@Infineum.com. For more information visit the Infineum Web site at http://www.infineum.com