Say the words Johnson Matthey and they tend to invoke thoughts of catalytic converters. The FTSE 100 chemicals and technology company has, after all, profited handsomely from developing and manufacturing the kit that removes harmful emissions, such as carbon dioxide, from the internal combustion engines of cars, motorcycles, vans and light trucks.
It’s been a fast-changing world, though, for this £5.8 billion beast, which has had to adapt to the rapid demise of diesel, at least in this country, and the super-rapid development of the electric vehicle.
Johnson Matthey believes it is ahead of the game in having come up with the key to producing the kind of small, powerful and long-lasting electric battery that the world’s manufacturers will want to put in their cars.