Realistic policies and specialization by countries for the future of the sector

The increase in global population and new needs in food, access to drinking water and sanitary products or the increase of urbanization, mobility - and the electromovilidad - and communications were put on the Bureau of the meeting held at the Iese as challenges for the chemical sector. This, bearing in mind that the chemical industry supplies products to all sectors of the economy and, in particular, to those related to the progress (health, construction, textile, automotive). He was also the initial idea that arise many of the solutions to climate change of the chemical industry.

Companies technologically advanced as Basf pointed out, in this case the hand of its commercial director Carles Navarro, solutions to these challenges.

The meeting addressed the challenge of competitiveness which faces the European chemical industry, which requires realistic environmental policy and a coordinated action between all its members. "Europe must be seen as a joint competitor", said Gernot Klotz, executive director of research and development of the Council European of the chemical industry (Cefic). Klotz, the approach of the chemical industry "has to be put in the application and not so much on the technology used", and small and medium-sized enterprises, majority in Europe, have to work together and, if they operate in similar fields, being geographically close to. "Must be a specialization areas and countries within the EU" - Klotz - he emphasized. "consider the complementarity and competition".

As summed up the Professor of the Iese Pedro Videla, we are now in a context marked by the decline of the world GDP by 0.6% in 2009, and a bag of unemployed people in the U.S. that will be difficult to mitigate. These factors predict a depreciation of the dollar against the currencies of emerging countries as a way to protect themselves from inflation next. For Videla, "Europe's problem is to have a single currency without having a political Union".

The spokesman for the CiU in the Commission of science and innovation of the Congress of the deputies immaculate Riera wanted to highlight the firm commitment by the industry and the conviction of the role of the chemical industry in the growth and competitiveness of Spain. Riera also referred to the challenge of the energy reform, "one of the most important thing that we have from the industrial and social point of view".

In this regard, the employer chemical Feique alerted on the proposal of the Spanish Government to lead the European decision to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in a 30%. Feique President and head of Solvay in Spain and Portugal, Luis Serrano, stressed that such policies will reduce the competitiveness of the Spanish plants and will lead to adjustments of templates and relocations. "What will happen if they continue to increase rates on emissions is a relocation". "At the global level without improving the environment, all you get is to shift production to other countries that are not so respectful with the environment".

Sustainable and competitive solutions

During the Conference, leading companies in various fields presented their solutions in order to greater sustainability and competitiveness of the chemical sector. Thus, Technip Iberia, Emerson Process Management and Bayer Technology Services focused approach in the process. As regards products, the approach addressed areas such as the remediation of soils (Nanotex) or sustainable construction (BASF).

Dow Chemical introduced the approach to sustainability of the company, its goals by the 2015 and examples of sustainable innovation in different areas and Panreac showed how to use the internal entrepreneurship to grow and innovate, focusing on the scope of the life sciences and industrial biotechnology.

Like colophon to the days, a nourished Forum of Investment in Sustainable Chemicals and Sciences of the Life was the frame of exhibition of eight business projects in distinct fields of application. Clausuraron The II Days ‘Chemical Sustainable, innovative and competitive companies' Gervasio Lamb, general deputy director of Business Growth of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade; Luis Serrano, general director of Solvay Iberian and president of Feique and the professor Juan Roure, of Iese Business School.