"The chemical industry is the engine for innovation in Europe", says High Level Group on Chemicals

21-Dec-2007

At the High Level Group meeting, commissioners, ministers, business leaders and stakeholder representatives discussed and agreed on the report and accompanying recommendations paving the way for the future innovation and the competitiveness of Europe.

The chemical industry is thus recognised as an irreplaceable provider of innovations to downstream industries and an indispensable basis for providing solutions to the main societal challenges like climate change, environment and quality of life. Europe must retain a strong manufacturing basis in this sector to ensure its overall competitiveness and its capacity to compete with other regions of the world. The chemical industry together with the EU and Member States authorities have to cooperate and share responsibility to translate good ideas into profitable and sustainable market opportunities.

For this to happen, recommendations like setting up jointly topical innovation networks (e.g. climate change, needs of an ageing population), cooperation along the value chain, adequate regulatory framework, consistent messages from authorities on new technologies towards investors and consumers, the refocusing of existing innovation networks on excellence and priorities, have to be implemented.

In the light of these recommendations, Mr. Stefan Marcinowski, Board Member of BASF and Cefic Vice-President responsible for the chemical industry's research and innovation programme, called for immediate action. "To keep ahead of our competitors in other regions the agreed actions have to be initiated now. Industry is ready to start immediately in 2008", he concluded.

According to HLG member Mr. Giorgio Squinzi, Cefic Vice-President and CEO of MAPEI (Italy), "A greater private commitment and a favourable and reliable policy framework for the chemical industry have to go hand in hand. This will spur our industry to make greater research efforts, building on successful initiatives like SusChem, the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry."

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/76065/the-chemical-industry-is-the-engine-for-innovation-in-europe-says-high-level-group-on-chemicals.html