| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |
www.chemicalindustryjournal.co.uk
| foreword |
Welcome It’s time for meaningful change Karen Southern Editor
Editor Karen Southern karen.southern@distinctivegroup.co.uk
Design Distinctive Media Group Ltd, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 580 5990 distinctivegroup.co.uk
Advertising Distinctive Media Group Ltd, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 5805990 David Perratt Business Development Manager email: david.perratt@distinctivegroup.co.uk Tel: 0191 5805471 distinctivegroup.co.uk
We all know times are tough so let’s not dwell on that. This issue looks at trends and technologies that focus on the bigger picture: creating a more sustainable and stable future for us all. ACHEMA 2022 is helping nudge the industry in the right direction. Later this month, the Frankfurt-based show for the global process industry puts the spotlight on the industry’s current ‘hot potatoes’ – digitilisation, supply chains and decarbonisation – through debate, presentations and practical demos. A brief preview of the event is included in this issue. Graphene doesn’t get a lot of coverage in general chemical news, so speciality chemicals company William Blythe Ltd deserve a special mention for their unique graphene oxide product. Over the past couple of years, the brilliant team at this Lancashire-based firm has quietly scaled up what is thought to be one of the world’s largest production capacities to meet growing demand. Initially set up in 1845 to produce dyestuffs and commodities, the company is now a proven manufacturer of advanced materials for use in many new and emerging applications, so it’s a resounding ‘well done’ to them.
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Meanwhile, the Chemical Business Association (CBA) is backing a string of initiatives to close the worrying skills gaps permeating the whole industry. As chief executive Tim Doggett points out, recruitment is just one step in the process. Mentoring, training and development are crucial too, and as such the CBA has thrown its considerable support behind schemes to promote careers in chemicals and logistics. ‘It’s time to do things differently when it comes to distribution’, says Karsten Smet of ACI Group, in his thought-provoking feature. He believes that adding value at every touchpoint is key to tackling our supply chain challenges, with technical innovation about to blur the lines between distribution and IT. And finally a recent member survey from the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) reveals that while the UK industry has shown a successive eighth quarter of growth, this is unlikely to continue into the third quarter of 2022. It’s time for the new Government to boost competitiveness and ease energy costs, is the rallying cry from Chief Executive Steve Elliott. Will our latest political influx have the appetite to support meaningful change? We’ll have to wait and see.
