Investment in innovation remains critical to the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the chemical industry, despite the current geopolitical chaos and challenging macroeconomic environment.

• Innovation is essential for differentiation, long‑term growth and sustainability, not just short‑term commercial success
• Chemical companies must continue investing in R&D during uncertain periods rather than adopting a “stop‑and‑go” approach
• Sustainability‑driven innovation is increasingly central to business resilience, customer trust and regulatory compliance
• Open innovation and partnerships with customers, suppliers, academics and startups are becoming more important than internal R&D alone
• Digitalisation and AI can help structure vast amounts of unstructured data and support faster, more informed decision‑making
• Product‑level carbon transparency and credible sustainability data are emerging as competitive necessities
• New materials enabling recyclability – such as debondable adhesives – illustrate how innovation can link performance and circularity
• Shifts away from fossil feedstocks towards recycling, renewable raw materials and CO2 utilisation will accelerate over the next decade
• Regionalisation of supply chains and circular economy solutions are likely to gain momentum amid geopolitical fragmentation
• Entering innovation awards helps companies benchmark progress, gain credibility and increase the visibility of their innovations

Enter the ICIS Innovation Awards! Deadline 12 June.

In this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS Innovation awards judges Alessia Ielo, global sustainable solutions manager for Brenntag; Denis Bortzmeyer, scientific director for open innovation at Arkema and Eric de Deckere, executive director innovation at Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council).