Industry: Chemicals & Plastics

In the March 2026 edition, the chemical industry enters the year under increasing pressure, with persistent oversupply in petrochemicals and weak demand from automotive and housing weighing on pricing and profitability. In response, companies are shifting strategies by emphasizing technology licensing, targeted investments, and sustainability-driven innovations to strengthen margins and resilience. Recent developments highlight expansion […]

Over the past two years, EPC firms have begun talking about process technology licensing in a materially different way. In corporate filings, expert calls, and investor communications, licensing is no longer positioned as an adjunct to project execution. Instead, it is increasingly framed as a core strategic lever—one that delivers capital light margins, recurring revenue, […]

Excessive competition in China’s chemical sector has driven steep price cuts, eroded returns, and at times industry wide losses. In response, China introduced the “anti-involution” policy in July 2024 to curb margin crushing price wars and shift the growth model from quantity to quality through stricter standards, financing discipline, and targeted consolidation. The policy seeks […]

The global chemical industry struggled in 2025, with total shareholder returns lagging broader markets over both five- and ten-year periods. Looking ahead to 2026, this gap is expected to widen as oversupply meets soft demand and rising trade and regulatory pressures continue to weigh on the sector. While lower inflation and selective feedstock advantages offer […]

In the February 2026 edition of the ADI Chemicals Newsletter, Dow expands propylene glycol capacity in Thailand as specialty demand grows. M&A activity progresses with ADNOC and OMV advancing their Borouge transaction, and Fertiglobe, Covestro, and TA’ZIZ strengthening ammonia and sustainability collaboration. Europe continues to rationalize capacity, with Dow, TotalEnergies, and the Covestro–LyondellBasell JV announcing […]

At the 2026 ADI Forum, Uday Turaga, CEO of ADI, provided a cross-segment outlook on the energy and chemical value chains. He highlighted the firm’s focus on the strategic interfaces between upstream production, global gas markets, and power generation, emphasizing how infrastructure and geopolitical shifts are reshaping global commodity flows. Key themes included a shift […]

At the 2026 ADI Forum, Jonatas Melo, President, Baystar; Badrish Krishnan, Director of Specialty Polymers, SK Geo Centric; and John Uhran, CEO, Locus Fermentation Solutions joined Uday Turaga, CEO, ADI Analytics for the Chemicals and Plastics panel. Key themes discussed were the industry’s ongoing struggle with global overcapacity and margin compression, the wave of asset rationalizations […]

In the January 2026 edition of the ADI Chemicals Newsletter, we explore how the global chemicals industry is entering a period of cautious stabilization. ADI’s 2026 global chemicals outlook highlights modest demand growth trailing GDP, continued overcapacity driven by Chinese additions, and an acceleration in strategic M&A as companies reshape portfolios for resilience. Questions remain […]

ADI Analytics has released its 2026 global chemicals outlook, mapping out the top trends set to define the industry this year. In this brief update, Uday Turaga, CEO of ADI Analytics, shares critical insights on demand trajectories, capacity surpluses, and why strategic portfolio pruning is driving massive new M&A activity. Key Highlights Watch the full […]

ADI Analytics has officially released its chemicals outlook for this year, detailing a landscape defined by cautious recovery and significant structural shifts. As the global industry navigates a “low growth, better mix” environment, companies are pivoting away from aggressive expansion toward operational excellence and portfolio high-grading. The following ten points summarize the key findings from […]

In the December 2025 edition of the ADI Chemicals Newsletter, we explore how AI in energy and chemicals is moving from hype to reality. Successful adoption depends on practical, bottom-up implementation rather than top-down mandates. Companies like Aramco, Suncor, and Clariant are using AI to augment operations, not replace human expertise. This edition also highlights […]

In the November 2025 edition of the ADI Chemicals Newsletter, we begin by examining how chemical industry demand is no longer moving in step with GDP growth. Structural forces such as demographic decline, material efficiency, recycling, and substitution are reshaping the market. Additionally, we highlight reliability as a critical differentiator in refining and chemicals—beyond its […]