Arthur D. Little: New Report Offers a Blueprint for Overcoming Bottlenecks and Unlocking the Full Potential of Digitalisation in the Chemical Industry
Digitalisation has the power to transform the European chemical industry, revolutionising the sector's solutions and enabling a circular, more sustainable economy in line with the EU Green Deal objectives. This exciting potential is highlighted in a new report from Arthur D. Little and Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, which details how technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, Internet of Things, digital twins, robotics, virtual/augmented reality, and blockchain can accelerate the industry's transformation.
The study titled "Digital Technologies for Sustainability in the European Chemical Industry", is the first ever attempt to outline how these technologies are used in the chemical sector and how they can be scaled up to make the chemical industry’s processes and products more sustainable .
Dr. Daniel Witthaut, Executive Director for Innovation at Cefic, emphasises that while the EU chemical industry has already implemented digitalisation in various applications, there is still much more that can be done:
“Digitalisation in the chemical industry is not new with multiple players already applying digital technologies in their fields. However, enormous opportunities exist for the industry to reach their sustainability goals faster through the application of the latest digital technologies – a journey that is just beginning for most players. And this is where we also need to work more closely with EU institutions to remove existing bottlenecks, improve data sharing and create a larger pool of homegrown talent to implement all these new technologies”.
According to the research, digital technologies can make the greatest contribution in five priority areas in both large and small companies in the EU: (1) process design and production for climate and circularity objectives, (2) sustainability assessment, (3) enabling materials and chemicals circularity through tracking and tracing, (4) sustainable product design, and (5) safe and efficient logistics and distribution.
Dr. Michaël Kolk, Managing Partner at ADL, adds: “Chemical companies in Europe are not only working on their own sustainability objectives, but also providing solutions that serve as enablers for many downstream industries to reach their own. The picture is complex, but we believe that collaboration via greater digitalisation is the way forward.”
The report also highlights a number of challenges that must be addressed to fully realise the potential of digital technologies. These include technological challenges such as data availability, interoperability, standardisation and cybersecurity as well as reluctance among companies to share data, financial costs, organisational issues, and a shortage of digital skills in the workforce. Greater collaboration between EU institutions and the chemical industry will be needed to address some of these bottlenecks.
The report is available for download here: https://tinyurl.com/2s4bztsb
END
About the report
Arthur D. Little and the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) joined forces to prepare this report, which summarises the views of digital technology experts from within and outside the chemical industry.
Recommendations from this report are based on the result of 15 individual interviews with senior digital and sustainability experts (e.g., chief digital officers or chief sustainability officers) as well as a survey of more than 70 experts from 50 companies that are broad representatives of the chemical industry in terms of type of business, size, and region.
To add cross-industry perspectives, the study also took into account input from more than 10 globally recognised digital technology experts outside the chemical industry.
About Cefic
Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, founded in 1972, is the voice of large, medium and small chemical companies across Europe, which provide 1.2 million jobs and account for approximately about 15% of world chemicals production.
About Arthur D. Little
Arthur D. Little has been at the forefront of innovation since 1886. We are an acknowledged thought leader in linking strategy, innovation and transformation in technology-intensive and converging industries. We navigate our clients through changing business ecosystems to uncover new growth opportunities. We enable our clients to build innovation capabilities and transform their organizations.
Our consultants have strong practical industry experience combined with excellent knowledge of key trends and dynamics. ADL is present in the most important business centers around the world. We are proud to serve most of the Fortune 1000 companies, in addition to other leading firms and public sector organizations.
For further information, please visit www.adlittle.com or www.adl.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230419005504/en/
Contact information
Media contact: Marina Mendes
Cefic
+32 499239522
mam@cefic.be
Media contact: Sue Glanville
Catalyst Comms
+44 7715 817589
Glanville.sue@adlittle.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
IO Interactive Announces Olivier Perbet as Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer2.7.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
IO Interactive, the award-winning developer and publisher behind the globally-acclaimed HITMAN franchise, is proud to announce the promotion of Olivier Perbet to Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer (CMRO). In this expanded role, Olivier will now oversee both marketing and revenue operations across the studio’s portfolio, including Digital and Physical Sales, Business Development, and go-to-market strategy, as IOI enters an exciting new chapter of growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702593970/en/ © IO Interactive A/S Olivier joined IO Interactive as Chief Marketing Officer in 2023, bringing with him over 20 years of experience across gaming, consumer electronics, and entertainment. Since then, he has played a key role in scaling IOI’s global publishing capabilities, supporting the set-up of IOI Partners and delivering standout campaigns. Under Olivier’s leadership, IOI recently celebrated major milestone
Seoul Semiconductor’s World’s No.1 Technology Targets EV and Autonomous Vehicle Markets2.7.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ: 046890), the world’s No. 1 company in LED backlight, announced on July 2nd that its proprietary No-wire technology, WICOP, has been supplied to the automotive market in the form of Mini LED displays since May. As the world’s first No-wire LED technology, WICOP has already proven its performance across various applications—including smartphones, TVs, lighting, and automotive headlamps. Recognized for its superior brightness and durability even in extreme automotive environments, WICOP has now officially entered the automotive display market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702244031/en/ [Figure] Comparison of 1st-Generation LED and 2nd-Generation ‘WICOP’ Structure (Image: Seoul Semiconductor) The No-wire WICOP technology applied to Mini LED enables ultra-slim display designs, making it ideal for full array local dimming. This allows for deeper contrast and higher bright
Barilla Launches 7th Edition of Good Food Makers to Shape the Future of Food2.7.2025 15:20:00 EEST | Press release
Barilla officially opens applications for Good Food Makers 2025, its open innovation program dedicated to startups and innovative companies focused on creating a more sustainable and connected food system. Now in its seventh edition, the program welcomes a new format — Good Food Makers – ECOSYSTEM — developed in collaboration with Almacube, the innovation hub of the University of Bologna and Confindustria Emilia. This year’s goal is to build a true innovation ecosystem by involving Barilla’s value chain partners and accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies. Three selected startups will join a four-week co-development journey with Barilla professionals and partner companies, working side-by-side to create impactful solutions across the entire food chain — from field to fork. Applications are open until the end of July, with the program running from September to January 2026, concluding with the Innovation Day. “Good Food Makers reflects our commitment to open innovation that g
SE Labs Award Reinforces NetApp Status as the Most Secure Storage on the Planet2.7.2025 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced that it was recognized as a standout performer in cybersecurity in the SE LABS ® Awards 2025. NetApp won the 2025 SE Labs Award for Enterprise Data Protection, validating NetApp’s status as the most secure storage on the planet. This recognition as a winner of a 2025 SE Labs Award is a result of NetApp’s exceptional innovation in cyber resiliency to deliver NetApp ONTAP® Autonomous Ransomware Protection with Artificial Intelligence (ARP/AI), which was tested and validated by SE Labs. NetApp ARP/AI demonstrated 99 percent detection of tested, advanced full-file encryption ransomware attacks with zero false positives, indicating a strong ability to operate in a business context without contributing to alert fatigue. “Great security doesn’t just happen—it’s built, tested and proven,” says Simon Edwards, Founder and CEO of SE Labs. “Behind every high performing security product is a team committed to excel
CroíValve Announces Funding from Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator2.7.2025 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
CroíValve, a pioneering medical device company innovating a better way to help more patients suffering from Tricuspid Regurgitation (TR), was awarded funding from Horizon Europe’s European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250702306192/en/ DUO™ Transcatheter Tricuspid System Part of the EU’s Horizon Europe 2021-2027 Research and Innovation Programme, the EIC Accelerator Programme provides transformational funding to high-potential, high-risk start-ups, scale-ups and subject matter experts. This award includes grant funding of €2.5 million, combined with an equity investment of €10 million in CroiValve’s next financing. The latest competition included 959 applications, with only 40 awards across 16 countries. Almost one third of the selected companies are led by a woman and CroiValve are incredibly proud to be one of this group. “Securing European Innovation Council
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom