Bayer MaterialScience (BMS, Leverkusen / Germany; www.bayermaterialscience.com) has inaugurated its new regional centre for Asia-Pacific at Hong Kong / China, concentrating management functions of its local business and service units. The resulting improvement in communication and cooperation between the units "should bring about a sustained increase in efficiency," said BMS, adding that the new centre should help it to exploit the "good growth opportunities" in the region. According to the centre´s head, Frank Rövekamp, the company´s Asian customers´ businesses "are growing not only in their own local markets, but increasingly in other Asian countries, too."