After spending a day at Expoquimia in Barcelona, one impression stood out: the chemical industry is changing its narrative.
For decades, the industry was associated with scale, efficiency and cost competitiveness. Today, the dominant themes are sustainability, circularity, bio-based materials and innovation.
But despite the optimism, the transition is far from complete.
Many promising solutions are technically proven but not yet economically competitive. Energy costs, regulatory requirements and geopolitical uncertainty continue to shape investment decisions.
What struck me most was the determination of companies to tackle these challenges. Large corporations, specialty chemical companies and startups alike seem to be pursuing the same objective: reducing environmental impact while maintaining performance and profitability.
Perhaps this is what makes the industry so interesting today. The future is no longer about choosing between sustainability and competitiveness. The challenge is achieving both.
For many companies, this creates an important strategic question: Can these capabilities be developed internally, or does acquiring technology, expertise or market access become the faster path?
As the industry evolves, growth strategies may increasingly combine innovation with targeted acquisitions. Not because M&A replaces organic growth, but because the pace of change requires both.
The question is no longer whether the industry will change.
The question is how quickly those changes will create new winners and new opportunities.
