Ludwigshafen ahead!

News coming from Germany show up an opposite situation between the Italian and German petrochemical industries.
On November 24 Basf and the employee representatives signed an agreement for the Ludwigshafen site that provides the safeguard of the current 33,000 jobs in the five-year period 2011-2015.
Furthermore, in the same years, the company promises to invest 9 to 10 billion euro; approximately two-thirds of this amount will be devoted to the modernization of the site in order to keep its high technological and performance levels. Research and development will account for more than one-third, thus confirming Ludwigshafen as Basf central platform.
Finally, the company will carry out a personnel development and qualification programme that should reduce any risk of a shortage of skilled labour and bring out local young people.