Arthur D. Little: New Report Offers a Blueprint for Overcoming Bottlenecks and Unlocking the Full Potential of Digitalisation in the Chemical Industry
19.4.2023 10:51:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
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
Novotech Strengthens Presence in Japan with Opening of Tokyo Office24.8.2026 02:01:00 EEST | Press release
Novotech, a leading global biotech CRO and full-service clinical research organization, has strengthened its established presence in Japan with the opening of a new office in Tokyo. The investment builds on Novotech’s existing operations and clinical trial activity in Japan and further enhances its ability to support Japanese biopharma companies as they advance programs regionally and across key international markets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260823592174/en/ Takeshi Mori, Novotech Country Head, Japan The Tokyo office will serve as a strategic hub for Novotech’s growing operations in Japan, providing enhanced local expertise and strengthening collaboration with clients, partners, research institutions, and innovation ecosystems across the region. Novotech is currently supporting ongoing studies in Japan and provides sponsors with integrated support across early-phase clinical development in Australia, F
FDA Authorizes ZYN ULTRA Nicotine Pouches Following Scientific Review21.8.2026 22:11:00 EEST | Press release
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) today announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Marketing Granted Orders to PMI’s U.S. affiliate, Swedish Match USA, Inc., authorizing the marketing of 11 ZYN ULTRA moist oral nicotine pouch products, including all 9mg variants and one 11mg variant. Additional 11mg variants remain under scientific review. Today’s action further enhances PMI’s leadership role in the smoke-free category. “We are delighted with the FDA’s decision to authorize a range of ZYN ULTRA products, which will build on ZYN’s position as America’s leading smoke-free product brand,” said Stacey Kennedy, PMI U.S. CEO. “We look forward to expanding our portfolio of better choices for the 45 million Americans who consume nicotine products.” ZYN ULTRA positions the brand to further extend its category leadership among legal-age consumers of nicotine products. Like the flagship FDA-authorized ZYN pouches, ZYNULTRA, with its higher moisture content, is fre
58% of Consumers Say They Don't Care Whether a Product is a National Brand or Private Label. They Just Buy What They Need21.8.2026 13:00:00 EEST | Press release
As fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) prices rose 26% globally between 2021 and 2025, consumers have become more deliberate about where they save and where they spend. NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) has released new findings showing that private label is no longer viewed simply as a lower-cost substitute, but as a credible competitor across value, mainstream, and premium segments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260819950224/en/ Private label is no longer just a value play. The findings, published in NIQ’s latest report, A Tale of Two Consumers: The Polarized Mindsets Reshaping Global Consumption, created in collaboration with World Data Lab, show how consumer polarization is redefining value and reshaping competition on the shelf. The report also draws on insights from NIQ's 2025reportFinding Harmony on the Shelfwhich documented changing perceptions of private label products. Key findings from these reports include: 58
Tanium Reappoints Co-Founder Orion Hindawi as CEO to Drive Next Chapter of Growth20.8.2026 22:10:00 EEST | Press release
Tanium, a leader in Autonomous IT, today announced that Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Orion Hindawi has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Dan Streetman is stepping down as CEO and as a member of the Board after leading Tanium for the last three years, during which time Tanium scaled its go-to-market operations and secured strong industry analyst recognition for innovation within the Tanium platform. Streetman will continue to advise Tanium as part of the transition and co-founder David Hindawi will return to the role of Chairman of the Board. With this foundation in place, this transition positions Tanium to deepen its Autonomous IT capabilities and further expand AI offerings across its portfolio and strengthen customer and partner engagement. The Hindawis co-founded Tanium in 2007 to build the central nervous system of enterprise security, giving organizations unified visibility and control over their endpoints. During his prior tenure as CEO from 201
PCI Energy Solutions to Join Mitsubishi Electric, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to Customers, Employees, and the Energy Industry20.8.2026 20:46:00 EEST | Press release
PCI Energy Solutions ("PCI"), a leading U.S.-based provider of enterprise software for energy management and optimization, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. The agreement was executed on August 20, 2026 (Japan Standard Time). The Transaction represents a strong endorsement of PCI's business, technology, employees, customer relationships and position in the energy industry. Mitsubishi Electric intends to retain PCI's core management team following completion of the Transaction, enabling PCI to preserve leadership continuity, industry expertise and its customer-focused operating model while benefiting from Mitsubishi Electric's global scale, complementary capabilities and long-term investment capacity. The agreement has been signed, but the Transaction has not yet closed. PCI and Mitsubishi Electric will continue to operate as separate companies until closing, which is subject to applicable regulatory approv
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