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
Fitch Learning Completes Acquisition of Moody’s Analytics Learning Solutions and the Canadian Securities Institute5.12.2025 17:48:00 EET | Press release
Fitch Learning, the global leader in financial learning and professional certifications, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Moody’s Analytics Learning Solutions (MALS) and the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI). MALS is a global provider of credit and digital learning, and CSI is a leading provider of certifications for the Canadian financial services industry. Fitch Learning, recognized globally as the premier financial education provider, delivers specialized training for the financial services industry through accredited qualifications, flexible corporate solutions programs, managed services and digital learning solutions trusted by leading institutions worldwide. The combined business will serve over 92,000 finance professionals across 148 countries, at every stage of their careers. “This acquisition is about creating more opportunities for growth – for organizations and for individuals,” said Andreas Karaiskos, CEO of Fitch Learning. “By combining both organizat
Arthur D. Little and Vega IT Unveil Joint Venture for Digital Innovation5.12.2025 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Arthur D. Little (ADL) and Vega IT today announced the formation of Axceler8 Solutions, a 50/50 joint venture created to design, develop, and operate a portfolio of digital and AI solutions aimed at improving efficiency and automating complex business processes. The launch of this new company is the direct outcome of a year of successful collaboration between the two firms and marks a new phase in their shared ambition to bring scalable, high-performance digital solutions to market, aiming to further augment their clients’ capacity to compress time to impact in a variety of domains. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251205465303/en/ Arthur D. Little and Vega IT have announced the formation of Axceler8 Solutions, a 50/50 joint venture created to design, develop, and operate a portfolio of digital and AI solutions. Axceler8 Solutions’ first product, Axceler8 Rx, is now live as a newly developed platform, and is a
Lone Star Announces Sale of SPX FLOW to ITT Inc.5.12.2025 14:30:00 EET | Press release
Lone Star Funds (“Lone Star”) today announced the signing by an affiliate of Lone Star Fund XI, LP of a definitive agreement to sell SPX FLOW, Inc. (“SPX FLOW”), a leading provider of highly engineered equipment and process technologies for attractive end markets including industrial, health and nutrition, to ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) for $4.775 billion in cash and shares of common stock. Based in Charlotte, N.C., SPX FLOW focuses on process technologies delivering mixing, blending, fluid handling, separation, thermal heat transfer and other solutions integral to industrial, health and nutrition markets. The company has operations in more than 25 countries and sales in more than 140 countries. In partnership with Lone Star, SPX FLOW has focused on improving its sales execution and operating platform, while ensuring high quality and innovative product development. The management team has improved the company’s commercial organization and executed growth initiatives to build its presence in e
AmTrust Financial Services and Blackstone Credit & Insurance Close Strategic Transaction and Launch Newly Formed Multinational MGA Company Named ANV Group Holdings Ltd.5.12.2025 14:00:00 EET | Press release
AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. (“AmTrust” or the “Company”), a global specialty property casualty insurer, and Blackstone Credit & Insurance (“BXCI”), today announced the closing of a strategic transaction under which AmTrust and funds managed by BXCI have partnered to spin-off certain of AmTrust’s Managing General Agencies (“MGAs”) and fee-based businesses in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Continental Europe, into ANV Group Holdings Ltd. (“ANV”), a newly formed independent company, following receipt of regulatory approvals. AmTrust and ANV have entered into a ten-year capacity agreement through which AmTrust will remain the underwriter for the existing books of business offered through the MGAs. As previously announced on September 15, 2025, the agreement includes seven AmTrust subsidiaries: ANV Specialty, Risico, Collegiate, ANV Nordic, Arc Legal, Qualis, and Abacus. These businesses provide diverse risk and insurance coverages including cyber excess and surplus (E&S), directors and
Galderma Opens up New Chapter for Sculptra ® with MDR Certification and New Expanded Indication for Body5.12.2025 08:00:00 EET | Press release
Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced the certification of Sculptra for body indications in the European Union (EU) following its certification under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR). This expands Sculptra’s current clinical use on the face, to include four new areas: gluteal area, posterior thighs, décolletage, and upper arms. Sculptra can be used across these areas to address varied treatment goals – from improving skin quality (including the improvement in cellulite appearance), to enhancing firmness, as well as lift, projection, and contouring.1-5 Sculptra’s versatility allows practitioners to meet each patient’s unique needs, delivering natural-looking, long-lasting improvements across face and body. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251204988559/en/ Meeting the moment: evolving patient needs As aesthetic expectations shift, patients are seeking more holistic
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