Ihs Chemical Week's Podcast

Karim Engelmark-Cassimjee, CEO and co-founder of green chemistry start-up EnginZyme, joins the podcast to discuss the promise and pitfalls of biomanufacturing processes, and the company’s advances in biobased catalysts and vaccine ingredients.

Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO of Orbia, joind S&P Global Commodity Insights' polymers lead Kristen Hays to discuss Orbia's transition to a global player focused on sustainability, as well as the longer-term outlook for PVC markets.

With growing demand for recycled plastics and investment in recycling ramping up, what does the future hold for plastics circularity? Bertan Enhos, exeuctive director/chemical consulting at S&P Global Commodity Insights and lead author of a recent report on plastics circularity, joins the podcast to discuss the state of plastic recycling, the promise of chemical recycling technology, and hurdles to developing a circular plastics supply chain. To learn more about S&P Global's Chemical Strategic Reports, including the report on plastics recycling, click or tap here.

Chemical Week editor-in-chief Rob Westervelt and senior editor Vincent Valk discuss third quarter results and what they imply for the industry's outlook. Topics include whether destocking could be coming to an end, if demand is bottoming out, the operating environment in Europe and recovery in China.

Carmen Song, principal consultant at S&P Global Commodity Insights and lead author of a new report on the state of the chemicals sector in China, joins the podcast to discuss shifting currents in the Chinese industry. Topics include a capacity build-out amid oversupply, the impact of decoupling and trade restrictions, and China's energy transition. To learn more about S&P Global's Chemical Strategic Reports, including the report on China, click here.

Abdulaziz Ehtaiba, senior editor/EMEA chemicals with S&P Global Commodity Insights hosts a discussion with Sarah Trinder, managing editor/aromatics EMEA at S&P Global Commodity Insights and Chemical Week executive editor Ian Young on the key takeaways from last month's European Petrochemicals Association (EPCA) meeting. Topics include the dismal outlook for European petrochemicals, Europe's unique regulatory burdens, and how producers will meet the challenges of the energy transition. At the start of the episode, Chemical Week senior editor Vincent Valk gives an overview of some exciting changes coming to the Chemical Week Podcast!

With the annual meeting of the European Petrochemical Association approaching from Sept. 25-28, Chemical Week editors Ian Young and Mark Thomas join the podcast to discuss the massive challenges facing the European industry, including high energy prices, regulatory burdens, and weak economic growth. The Chemical Week podcast is the industry’s premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by veteran industry journalist Vincent Valk and the editors of Chemical Week. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

The chlor-alkali industry has seen an unusual number of lawsuits and contractual disputes in recent years, some of which have had a notable impact on market conditions. Kristen Hays, global market lead/polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins the podcast to help untangle the different legal actions and their implications.

Antionette Smith, senior editor at S&P Global Commodity Insights, and Rob Westervelt, Chemical Week editor-in-chief, join Chemical Week senior editor Vincent Valk to discuss second quarter earnings. Topics inclue regional differences in the outlook, destocking and supply/demand, and what could be in store for the rest of the year.

Benjamin Raerup Knudsen, vice president/research, North America at BASF, joins the podcast to discuss the company's open innovation initiatives. Topics include how BASF approaches partnerships in innovation, core areas of focus for research, and how to protect IP and trade secrets in an open innovation ecosystem.

Ryan Monis, director of chemical consulting with S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins the podcast to discuss a new report detailing the future for low-carbon ammonia, including rising demand and ammonia's potential uses as an energy carrier. Click here for more information about the report.

Michael Deutsch, vice president/biochemicals at UPM, joins the podcast to discuss the company's plans to make biochemicals using wood as a feedstock. 

Antoinette Smith, senior editor/Americas Chemicals and Recycled Polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins CW editor in chief Rob Westervelt for a discussion of first quarter results in an environment of slowing demand and growing complexity.

Petrochemical challenges  Rob Stier, senior lead/global petrochemical analytics at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins CW editor Rob Westervelt for a look at how global petrochemical makers are coping with the downturn. Stier assesses the state of the sector, what is different about this downturn, the durability of US feedstock advantage, and what is needed to bring markets back into balance.  Join us at the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC) for the latest on the industry outlook.  And check out our recent cover story on the petrochemical outlook 

Chemical Week's latest podcast is a collaboration with Platts Commodity Focus on the state of petrochemical markets. Kristen Hays, global market lead for polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins CW editor Rob Westervelt and CW markets editor Clay Boswell to assess the impacts of an economic slowdown, fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war, supply chain challenges, and volatile energy costs on supply and demand. Read CW's recent cover story Shining through the night: Olefin shutdowns likely in Europe, Asia; low costs insulate North America and US polymer export logjams ease: Exports climbed sharply as domestic resin demand weakened in 2022.  

Knowde founder and CEO Ali Amin-Javaheri joins CW editor Rob Westervelt to discuss how digital marketplaces are gaining traction in the chemical sector, overcoming the barriers and reluctance on digital adoption from suppliers and buyers, Knowde's progress, and how venture capital views the chemical sector. Knowde's marketplace is online at www.knowde.com

Women in Chemicals co-founders Amelia Greene, of Wego Chemical Group, and Kylie Wittl, of 3M return to the podcast to talk about the mission and growth of Women in Chemicals, a network and community of females working in the chemical industry. The conversation also addresses how networking, mentorship, and learning programs work for women in the industry and what's ahead for Women in Chemicals' programs and offerings in 2023. To learn more visit: https://www.womeninchemicals.com/

Despite recent years being marked with the pandemic, trade wars, a supply chain crisis, and a possible manufacturing recession, the industry’s commitment to creating a circular economy has begun to solidify—albeit with the usual suspects of challenges in policy alignment and feedstock security. “We’ve dealt with a lot of chaos, but the momentum in seriousness around sustainability has been present throughout and I don’t see it changing,” Mark Costa, chairman and CEO of Eastman Chemical, told CW editor Rob Westervelt in the keynote session at Chemical Week's Financial Outlook & Sustainability Forum & Awards last month.

Chemical Week markets editor Mark Thomas assesses the outlook and key strategic issues impacting petrochemical makers in the Middle East in a discussion with CW editor Rob Westervelt. The discussion follows the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association annual meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this month. Topics include crude-oil-to-chemicals investment, impacts of energy transition on Middle East producers and the near-term outlook. Read CW's latest Middle East coverage at https://chemweek.com/MidEast

Chemweek's editor-in-chief Rob Westervelt sits down with senior editor Vincent Valk to discuss M&A outlook for the rest of 2022 and beyond as the economy heads into a tougher environment.