INDUSTRY SECTORS
The costliest PFAS mistake is assuming you already have the answers
By Carrie Decatur, Manager, Regulatory Content, at Sphera.
In the past few weeks alone, Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have appeared in headlines for very different reasons.
The US government has moved to roll back drinking water limits for several PFAS...
From estimates to evidence: Getting ahead of tighter Scope 3 standards
The landscape of Scope 3 reporting is shifting, with updates to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting standards bringing greater levels of rigour to how companies calculate and disclose their impacts. Prof. Dr. Peter Saling, Director Sustainability Methods at BASF and Co-Chair...
Filtration’s Growing Role in the Future of Biofuel Production
As the global transition towards lower-carbon energy sources accelerates, biofuels continue to play an increasingly important role in the renewable energy mix. Driven by ambitious decarbonisation targets, evolving regulations, and growing demand for sustainable transport fuels, producers are expanding...
The best AI deployments in chemicals need humans in the lead
The chemicals sector has a talent gap. Putting humans in the lead unlocks productivity gains, says Stephen Reynolds, Industry Principal, Chemicals at AVEVA.
When a pre-sales engineer on our team used a generative artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to create a...
Using biology to transform chemical manufacturing
Innovate UK Business Connect’s Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network champions businesses developing cleaner, more sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-derived chemical processes.
Synthetic biology company ErebaGen is using cutting-edge biology to transform how chemicals are made and highlights how chemicals and engineering biology form part of...
Why Grangemouth is shaping the next phase of Scotland’s bioeconomy
With crude oil refining set to end in 2025, Scotland’s largest industrial cluster is entering a new phase that could help define the country’s low carbon and industrial future, says Mark Bustard, CEO at the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre...
Process Analytical Technology (PAT) and the shift towards smarter manufacturing
As manufacturers are striving to improve efficiency, product quality, and sustainability, Process Analytical Technology (PAT) is playing an increasingly important role in transforming production processes for the better.
Unlike conventional methods that rely on lab testing after production, PAT allows...
Pressure instrumentation for the hydrogen industry: Why VEGA sensors make the difference
The hydrogen economy is regarded as one of the key building blocks of the energy supply of the future. To produce, compress, store and transport hydrogen safely, highly precise and extremely reliable pressure measurement technology is required. This is...
Chemical sample fulfilment: The afterthought that decides deals
As the weak chemicals outlook drags on through 2026, manufacturers are scrutinising where deals are slipping … and one operational gap is getting harder to ignore. Sample fulfilment is where ground can be won or lost in three key...
Brexit: State of the nation 10 years on
Few events have had a greater impact on the UK’s chemical supply chain over the past decade than Brexit. As the UK marks ten years since the referendum, Tim Doggett, CEO of the Chemical Business Association (CBA), reflects.
Brexit has...
Europe’s specialty chemicals sector enters new phase
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...
Why supporting working parents is now a resilience issue for chemical sector employers
Support for working parents has often been seen as a “nice to have”. For chemical employers, that view no longer fits the world they are operating in. Many businesses are dealing with high energy costs, changing regulations, supply chain...
Beyond compliance: turning competence management into a performance advantage
Whether you operate under COMAH regulations, work with hazardous materials outside that scope, or simply want to sharpen productivity, quality and reliability: strong competence management pays off. Here are three areas worth taking stock of.
Time to update
Procedures...
What if the next revolution in chemistry came from its processes?
An industrial platform developed by French startup Plaskimia combines plasma, continuous flow chemistry and artificial intelligence to invent a new generation of chemical processes — which could be faster to develop, more resource-efficient, safer and more competitive.
What if the next...
Rethinking feedstocks: how biotechnology is changing chemical manufacturing
Fossil based chemistry is no longer fit for purpose: the future lies in a resilient new source of cleaner chemicals, says Sophie Roelants, COO and co-founder, AmphiStar.
Much of the chemical industry still relies on fossil carbon as both a...
Critical raw material exploration: unlocking new sources for specialty chemicals
Rare earths for magnets, lithium and cobalt for batteries, platinum group metals for catalysts — the supply chain that feeds green energy and advanced electronics rests on minerals we still struggle to find efficiently. Hyperspectral satellite imaging changes the...
Pioneering Teesside plant strengthens UK critical minerals processing capacity
DEScycle has opened its first demonstration plant at Wilton Centre in Teesside, marking the first operational deployment of its distributed metals processing infrastructure platform.
It’s a significant step towards strengthening the UK’s domestic critical minerals supply chain.
The UK Government’s Critical Minerals...
Are animal models limiting progress in product development?
Novel alternatives to animal testing can provide more meaningful analysis, says Matt Stevenson, scientific substantiation senior manager at Imperial Brands Science.
While animal models have played a central role in safety assessment and biological research for decades, advances in cellular...
Beyond the traditional turbine: the case for electrifying chemical production
Across the chemicals, fertilizers, and petrochemicals sectors, producers face mounting pressure to reduce operating costs and carbon emissions, while maintaining the reliability and throughput that global markets demand.
For many of them, this is prompting close examination of some of...
Recovering value from hydrogen streams
Divyam Mandalia, Director of Global Purification at PSB Industries, discusses the role of advanced oxygen removal in chlor-alkali processing.
Chlor-alkali production is among the most energy intensive processes in the chemical industry. Through electrolysis, sodium chloride is converted into chlorine...
Safer by Design: Making the Business Case for Early Process Safety Integration
As industry continues to invest in new facilities, emerging technologies and major capital projects, there is growing recognition that integrating process safety is a business imperative. Whether developing a chemical manufacturing facility, expanding pharmaceutical production, introducing hydrogen infrastructure or...
When reliability becomes strategy: why risk leaders in chemical operations now shape business outcomes
In high-hazard, asset-intensive industries, risk can’t sit on the sidelines. The ability to prevent disruption - and recover fast when it happens, has become a strategic determinant of competitiveness. Nancy Campuzano, Client Service Manager, Forest Products European Branch, FM.
For...
Why hazardous material transfer is a critical challenge for modern chemical operations
A new framework has been launched to further raise standards of physical and mental health for the chemicals and major hazards industries.
Every day, thousands of tonnes of hazardous chemicals move through manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centres and other UK...
The costliest PFAS mistake is assuming you already have the answers
In the past few weeks alone, Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have appeared in headlines for very different reasons.
The US government has moved to roll back drinking water limits for several PFAS compounds.
In the UK, MPs have called for...
Common mistakes and solutions for scaling up complex emulsions
Micropore Technologies has identified several recurring challenges in the scale-up process. By understanding these common mistakes, manufacturers can implement more reliable strategies to ensure consistent particle engineering from development through to manufacturing.
In the pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries, complex...
Unseen ingredients, unseen risks in weight management supplements
The future of weight management supplements will be defined by proof, not promise, says Greg Holgate, ACI Group.
For years, the slimming supplement category operated in a space where marketing often outpaced evidence.
Familiar ingredients, scientific language, and ‘natural’ positioning frequently...
Chemical logistics: turning volatility into advantage
Markus Kanis, Global SVP – Chemicals at DP World, spends his days working at the intersection of global trade, infrastructure and supply chain strategy for chemical producers navigating a far more complex operating environment. In this exclusive, he reveals...
Under pressure: The state of the chemical supply chain
The global chemical supply chain is facing unprecedented disruption. Tim Doggett, CEO of the Chemical Business Association (CBA), reflects on the current state of the sector.
The global chemical supply chain is under sustained pressure from multiple directions, and while...
The evolving challenges facing the chemical sector
Ongoing geopolitical instability, trade complexity and logistics disruption are placing increasing strain on the UK chemical sector. Ben Beattie, Director of Forbeats, examines how these pressures are impacting manufacturers across the industry.
In recent years, the chemical sector has been...
What happens when the cold chain breaks?
As therapies become more sensitive and supply chains more complex, the margin for error is shrinking, says Delphine Perridy, Chief Commercial Officer at Envirotainer.
Often overlooked, the global pharmaceutical cold chain plays a vital role in delivering some of the...
