Nick Powell, CEO of Ingredients + Specialties, Univar Solutions, speaks candidly about what chemical distributors are seeing in real time, where demand is strengthening, how sustainability priorities are evolving, and what’s shaping investment and sourcing decisions heading into 2027.
For much of the past few years, customers across Europe have focused on navigating and managing growing uncertainty.
Whether it was supply chain disruption, inflation, rising energy costs, regulatory changes, or geopolitical pressures, the priority was clear for specialty and ingredient distributors: in an environment where change has become the norm, keep products moving, support customers big and small, and adapt quickly to rapidly changing market conditions.
By no means have those challenges disappeared. However, customers today are looking beyond short-term disruption and asking a different set of questions than they were a few years ago.
Perhaps the most important is this: how can we create a stronger, more resilient foundation for growth in the years ahead?
In the early 2020s, availability was at the heart of many customer conversations. Could we secure supply? How quickly could materials move through the supply chain? What contingency plans were in place if disruption occurred?
Those questions remain, but they’re no longer the only ones we hear.
Today’s focus
Today, customers are increasingly focused on growth and competition. They want to improve formulation performance, accelerate product development, simplify supply chains, and meet sustainability commitments. Just as importantly, they’re looking for partners who can help them achieve those goals.
That shift in thinking is influencing everything from purchasing decisions to product development strategies.
Whether in coatings, personal care, or other specialty ingredient and industrial applications, we’re seeing customers take a closer look at where they invest their time, resources, and budgets.
From what we’re seeing across specialty chemicals and ingredients markets, this is about being more selective.
Customers want to understand what value a new ingredient, formulation, or technology will bring to their business. Will it improve performance? Reduce complexity? Support sustainability goals? Help bring products to market faster?
If the answer is yes, they’re willing to invest.
Bar raised
While innovation remains a priority, the bar has been raised. Companies still need new ideas, technologies, and products. The difference is they need confidence that their investments will deliver results – and deliver them faster.
Development timelines have shortened, budgets are being examined more closely, and teams are under pressure to do more with fewer resources.
That’s why the conversation has been shifting toward collaboration. Customers aren’t simply looking for a distributor to supply materials. They want access to technical expertise, formulation support, and insights that help them make informed decisions.
They want a partner who understands their business and can bring new ideas to the table – ideas they may not have considered themselves.
In many ways, access to products and ingredients has become just the starting point. The real value comes from the knowledge and capabilities behind them.
We have the privilege of seeing the market from multiple perspectives. Working with suppliers, customers, and innovators across a range of industries gives us a front-row seat to emerging technologies, evolving regulations, and changing customer priorities.
What stands out is how quickly customer expectations are changing and how closely innovation, sustainability, and business performance are becoming connected.
The conversation around sustainability is a good example. Across Europe, sustainability remains a priority, but the dialogue is focused on implementation, measurable outcomes, and commercial viability.
Practical outlook
Many organisations have already established their sustainability goals. The focus now is on execution.
Customers are looking for practical ways to improve resource efficiency, support circularity, reduce environmental impact, and keep pace with changing regulations. They want approaches that make business sense. Sustainability initiatives still need to deliver measurable results and support commercial objectives.
Regulation is another area where we’re seeing increased attention. Across Europe, customers are asking how they can prepare for future regulatory change rather than just react to it. Questions such as: What substances may face future restrictions? What alternative chemistries are available? How can formulations be adapted to reduce risk over the long-term?
My view is that companies best positioned for success will be those that take a proactive approach. Evaluating alternatives early and planning ahead can help reduce disruption, strengthen supply chain resilience, and make future transitions easier to navigate.
This is also where experienced distribution partners can play an important role. As I look ahead, I don’t see supply chain resilience, innovation, regulatory compliance, and sustainability as separate priorities. Increasingly, they’re becoming part of the same conversation.
The organisations making the greatest progress are finding ways to address these priorities together. They’re strengthening supply chains while advancing sustainability goals. They’re bringing new products to market while preparing for future regulatory change. It’s not always straightforward, but this ability to balance competing priorities is becoming an important advantage.
What gives me confidence is that, despite the uncertainty that remains, the appetite for innovation is still strong. Across Europe, customers continue to invest in new technologies, explore novel ideas, and look for better ways to meet the ever-changing market needs.
From where I sit, that’s an encouraging sign for the future of our industry.
