Work is progressing well on South Africa’s Mossel Bay desalination plant project, according to a report by marine services provider SMIT Amandla Marine.

The Cape Town-based company submitted a tender to provide marine services on the project last September and subsequently won the contract.

Lockheed Martin has passed a landmark in its F-35 Lightning II program with the inaugural flight of the first production model of the jet sometimes referred to as the stealth fighter or joint strike fighter.

The one-hour flight of an F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing version took off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.

Ford Motor Company announced today that its supply network is creating thousands of new jobs around the world to support the launch of the new Ford Focus.

Ford is using 310 suppliers in 22 countries to make parts for the new Focus, and many are adding jobs, facilities and equipment to meet demand for the vehicle. Suppliers have added 5,500 jobs at facilities in North America, Europe and Asia to produce parts for the new Focus.

Madrid-based pharmaceutical group Zeltia has reported strong results for the year ending 31 December 2010.

The group’s net revenues for 2010 totalled €153.5 million, a rise of 24.4 per cent from 2009, when revenues were €123.4 million. Zeltia said the increase was largely due to a 70 per cent growth in sales of Yondelis, Spain’s first anti-tumour drug.

At year-end, Yondelis had been approved for sale in 63 countries, 33 of which are outside the European Economic Area.

Newmont Mining, the world’s largest producer of gold, announced record results today for the year ended 31 December 2010.

Revenue of $9.5 billion represents a 24 percent increase over 2009. Gold and copper production came in at 5.4 million ounces and 327 million pounds, respectively, with gold production up only slightly while copper production was up almost 44 percent over 2009.

In Q4 2010 Newmont produced 1.4 million ounces of gold and 74 million pounds of copper.

Northern Irish bus building company the Wright Group has announced it will supply 334 new vehicles to transport company Arriva in a deal worth £55 million.

The contract will see the Wright Group manufacture 204 double deckers and 130 single deckers, with production beginning this spring and delivery expected later in the year.

The Ballymena-based company said that 184 of the buses would be its Wrightbus Gemini 2 DL integral Double Deck model, and 20 would be the Eclipse Gemini 2 Double Deck buses, adding to Arriva’s existing hybrid fleet in London.

Ohio has emerged as the No.1 state in the US Midwest for advanced energy manufacturing, according to a report published today by the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC).

"Renewable energy is one of the fastest-growing business sectors for job creation" in Ohio, the ELPC report notes, and the increasing demand for wind turbines places it behind only California in terms of job growth.

India is rapidly becoming the world hub for biotechnology research, with the quality of its scientists, doctors and pharmacology researchers regarded as second to none. Newly restructured Life Technologies is ready to give them the tools they need, enabling them to make rapid and meaningful progress in the areas of basic and medical research.

John Adom, managing director of Balfos Ltd, talks to Jayne Alverca about the company’s diverse product and sales offering as a single supply source to some of West Africa’s leading mining and industrial operations.

Since 1995, when the company was incorporated in Ghana, Balfos Ltd has developed and enhanced its sales and service operations to become a single supply point for three of West Africa’s largest mining, industrial and construction countries (Ghana, Guinea and Côte D’Ivoire).