Interview to Carlos Black, president of the Chemical Forum and Society
It does now four years asked him like president of Anque by the image of the chemicals in our society. Which thinks that is now this image? It has improved?
The surveys indicate that said perception is improving significantly and of positive form. The last data reflect that for more than 60% of the population polled the sector enjoys of a positive image, in front of 25% that had this perception so only does a decade. Definitely, the creation of the Chemical Forum and Society has contributed to said improvement of an important form, although it also is necessary to include other performances that have sucedido in the last years as they are the commemoration of the International Year of the Chemicals in the year 2011, the creation of departments of communication in numerous companies, the increase of the number of scientists that take consciousness of the importance to devote a part of his time to the scientific divulging, etc.
All great…
I think that the society is increasingly conscious that the future is full of opportunities thanks to the development of the chemicals and his industrial applications. During the minutes that lasts this interview will have discovered in the world several tens of new products, and although only a small part of them had beneficial applications that contribute to improve our quality of life, is easy to imagine his potential. Definitely, the new routes of reaction will give place to new products that today not even imagine and that will be to our disposal in less time of the that think.
Many describe to the chemicals like a little respectful science with our surroundings. Which is today the relation between chemicals and environingingment?
I would say that it is a very narrow relation. In the actuality people, planet and prosperity are the three appearances that are always present in the advances of the chemicals and his industrial applications in our days. Therefore, the sustainable development is present in any new design of product or of process, in the new routes of reaction that are investigating or in the characteristics of the products along all his cycle of life.
You affirms that the chemicals is not the source of the problem, but the solution. Please, it put some examples.
The people associates the problems to the industrial installations like consequence of the environingingmental impact that have these installations, in this sense think that is important to signal that the chemical sector is the greater investor in protection of the environingingment, the investments devoted to this by this sector suppose 20% of the total of the industry of our country. East encourage investor has seen reflected in a very significant improvement in all the environingingmental indicators of the industrial installations in his group that in the last decade suppose a decrease in 89% of the broadcasts of oxides of sulphur to the atmosphere, the poured to the waters in terms of phosphates have reduced in 86% or the broadcasts of particles in suspension in 77%, for putting some examples. However, the main source of the problems of the planet does not be due to the industrial activities.
To what has to then?
To the activities of each one of the more than 7.000 million inhabitants that live in this planet, and is here where the chemical is a source of opportunities to look for solutions that allow us have of the resources that need to satisfy our needs without engaging the future generations and that allow us undo us of safe form of the poured, broadcasts and waste that generate with the lower environingingmental impact possible.
The chemicals through the constant design of new materials and processes is present in each one ours facets of the daily activity; in the transport, in the house, in the communication, in the feeding, in the production of power, in the it and the telecommunications, in the hygiene and in the health or in the treatment of broadcasts and waste.
“The main tool of communication with the society”
The surveys of social perception of the chemicals tend to improve in the last years and in this definitely has influenced the improvements in communication. “Perhaps traditionally, in our sector have communicated little or have not used the channels of communication adapted, this is something that definitely is correcting in the last years”, explains Black. The portal of Chemical Forum and Society is “the main tool of communication with the society” of which has the sector, by the number of annual visits and the total of users registered is already the main reference. This portal updates daily, contains diverse sections, including the download of informative materials, news of daily update, information on evento and days, etc. Likewise, the year happened the forum launched the portal ‘Have Chemical', a meeting point for the more youngsters and at present works in the implantation of a portal meeting point of the education.
The forum edits mensualmente a bulletin designated Chemical and Society that remits to the media. Besides, it participates in numerous forums, days, seminars, congresses, etc. where shows the importance of the contribution of the chemicals and his industrial applications to the profit of the society.
Also in the last years has undertaken programs as ‘it Knows', that has allowed the visit of a big number of students to industrial installations with the aim to boost the vocation of these to the chemical science and his industrial applications. Another example is the program ‘Spreads', by means of which have elaborated informative and didactic materials that have distributed to the centres of Spanish education.
“Would stand out also that carry a decade organising the acts of annual celebration of the Day of the Chemicals, officially promulgado in our country in 2003 by the Ministry of Industry”, concludes Black.
How it lives the current situation of crisis generalised the chemical industry of our country?
Like all the sectors, with a lot of difficulties. Although, the chemical sector is very diverse and, therefore, the situation varies depending on the different subsectores of activity, in his group is holding the crisis with levels of growth in spite of the difficulties. The good behaviour of the sector bases to a large extent in his big capacity of access to the external markets, no in vain is the second industrial state in export in our country.
And what there is of the internal consumption?
Continues showing alarming signals of weakness. The problems of decentralisation because of the fault of support and of measures of stimulus to the industry in our country is something that has to have very present. The power of industrial use in Spain is one of the most expensive of Europe. Germany, for example, has some energetic costs 40% inferior to which have to face in Spain, think that this data is sufficiently explanatory. Another key appearance is the width of European road in the rail transport, the connection with Europe of the main centres of chemical production, foreseen for 2016, is absolutely vital.
This and other sectors are suffering grave cuts in investigation by part of the administrations. Of how much are speaking? In which measure is affecting this situation?
As always, there is an important dance of figures depending on the source of origin. I think that the significant is not of how much is this cut but how affects to the structure of R&D that is implanted in our country. The situation of which split is bad: we invest something more than 1% of GDP whereas our European neighbours invest like average a 2 % and those with economies and societies more advanced elevate these percentages until the 3 % or even upper percentages, which marks the difference. In spite of the deficitaria investment in science, in our country the indicators of scientific production in the area of the chemical are positive and surpass to the average of the Spanish science. They have created numerous groups of investigation very competitive whose efforts see now loomed like consequence of the cuts. There are delays in the announcements of projects of investigation and squares of personnel in learning that if they continue, can suppose the loss of all a generation of scientists in our country.
They are competitive in the outside our chemical companies? What would stand out?
The data like this indicate it since more than 50% of the sales produce in external markets. This shows that our industry is competitive and the taxles of productivity are improving continuously. The chemical sector represents the 11 % of the Gross Industrial Product of our country and generates employment of quality, 91% of agreements of the sector are indefinite. But besides it has an important peculiarity that differentiates him of the rest of industrial states and is the fact to supply raw materials, products, processes and services to the other industrial states, thus the strengthening of this industry would be definitely a key engine so that Spain go out of the crisis in which it is sumida. Now well, this competitiveness of the chemical industry Spaniard is being very prejudiced by the high energetic costs and the risk of deslocalización is very real.
A lot of sectors fear the called ‘escape of talents' to other countries. Which is the situation in this regard in the chemical industry?
Although they are many the voices authorised that are alerting of an escape of brains owing to the cuts, the truly important is that we are able to have of strategies that allow his return after an experience that always is enriquecedora for a professional of cost, which in my opinion will be increasingly complicated given the high demand of chemists and existent chemical engineers in other European countries. In our educational system we form chemical, chemical engineers and biochemists of big cost, are generations very ready and that has cost us a lot of money form, these professionals are very competitive and find works in countries where his demand is high as it is the case of the United Kingdom, Germany or the north of Europe.
Which council would give them to the new generations of chemists of our country?
That do not lose never the restlessness for learning, the knowledge is key in all his appearances, was to generate it, develop it, adapt it or apply it; that they are able to adapt fast to changes since they will work in a very dynamic sector in which the changes produce to high speeds; that in his decisions like scientists or like technicians take into account always the three pillars: planet, people and productivity; and that engage with his community forming active part of professional associations.
On the Chemical Forum and Society
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