Chemical Week

CW editors Rob Westervelt and Vincent Valk discuss the outlook for 2021, a year that should see a rebound in demand as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, but with significant uncertainty around that. Sustainability, the energy transition, and geopolitical instability remain major longer-term themes.

Leon de Bruyn, CEO of Lummus Technology, and Debdas Sen, CEO of TCG Digital, join the podcast to discuss their new joint venture, Lummus Digital. They also discuss some of the challenges faced by chemical companies in digitalization, and the practical meaning of some digital-adjacent buzzwords.

In this sponsored episode, UBQ Materials' Sophie Tuviahu and Mainetti's Jeffrey Hsu join the podcast to discuss a partnership that's turning household waste into useful everyday products. This episode is sponsored by UBQ Materials, a start-up that has found a way to transform unsorted household waste into a bio-based thermoplastic. To learn more, visit www.ubqmaterials.com.

Dirk Elvermann, president/corporate finance at BASF, joins the podcast to discuss the company's green bond issue this past spring, a first for the industry.

Christophe Cabarry, CEO of SpecialChem, joins the podcast to discuss digitalization's promise and pitfalls for the chemical distribution sector.

Aida Jebens, Associate Director/Specialty Chemicals Insights at IHS Markit joins the podcast to discuss the latest Overview of the Specialty Chemicals Industry report. Key topics include the growth outlook for specialty chemicals, the impact of COVID-19, and which market sectors have the best prospects. To learn more about the report, visit: https://ihsmarkit.com/products/specialty-chemicals-update-program.html

Christophe Schilling, CEO and co-founder of biochems firm Genomatica, joins the podcast to discuss the results of the company's recent survey on public attitudes towards sustainability in the US. Key findings include that the public, especially younger generations, considers sustainability important even in the midst of a global pandemic.

PPG's Rebecca Liebert and Peter Votruba-Drzal joint the podcast to discuss the company's initiatives in coatings for electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles.

Joe Lupia, head of technology and product stewardship at Elementis, joins the podcast to discuss how the company engaging with customers and employees in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

CW editors Rob Westervelt and Vincent Valk chat about the recently-concluded earnings season, with an eye towards the uncertain outlook for the second half of 2020.