CMU, Koreans in security deal
Carnegie Mellon University and South Korea are joining forces to create a research lab for the development of security technologies. The Korea Information Security Agency has pledged $6 million over the next three years to establish CyLab Korea at Carnegie Mellon. The agency also will create a lab in Seoul. Both labs will conduct joint research in computer and communications security.

Matthews earnings up sharply
Matthews International Corp., a Pittsburgh-based maker of plaques, caskets and industrial-imaging products, said acquisitions and favorable foreign currency rates were instrumental in boosting earnings for the quarter and full year. Fourth-quarter net income totaled $16.6 million, or 51 cents a share, vs. $11.7 million, or 36 cents a share, a year ago. The year-ago results included a gain of $2.6 million and a charge of $3.6 million, both related to the sale of the company's Graphics Imaging unit. Sales rose to $146.3 million from $118.1 million a year ago. For fiscal year 2004 ended Sept. 30, the company had net income of $56.2 million, or $1.72 a share, vs. $44.9 million, or $1.39 a share, in fiscal 2003. Sales rose 11 percent to $508.8 million from $458.9 million in fiscal year 2003.

Alcoa plans Norway plant
Alcoa will invest $284 million to build a $314 million plant in Norway that will supply anodes to the smelter it is building in Iceland. Norwegian metals producer Elkem will contribute the other $30 million. The plant also will supply anodes, electrodes used to make aluminum, to a Norwegian smelter Alcoa co-owns with Elkem.

Mellon buying Texas firm
Mellon Financial said it would acquire SourceNet Solutions, a College Station, Texas, firm that performs finance and accounting outsourcing. Terms were not disclosed. SourceNet employs 225.

Also in business ...
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline at area self-serve pumps fell 2.1 cents this week to $1.918 from the previous week, AAA East Central reported ... Nova Chemicals Corp. said it and BP PLC would merge their European styrenic polymers businesses into a 50-50 joint venture. The venture will have sales of about $1 billion, Nova said.