REACH out and hope: The challenges for Europe's chemicals industry
Twenty years ago, when I first joined C&I as Editor, the main topic of conversation across the European chemical industry centred on the EU’s proposed Regulation, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals, the so-called REACH regulations.
The big challenge for small business
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of any economy. These companies, usually defined as employing fewer than 250 people and (according to EU) with an annual turnover not exceeding €50m, make up the vast majority of all businesses.
C&I Leader: Reproducibility, all over again
Reproducibility underpins the scientific method – the observational method for acquiring knowledge that has been fundamental to the conduct of science since at least the 17th century.
AstraZeneca and the importance of innovation
In this month’s issue of C&I we take the time to celebrate the remarkable success of AstraZeneca, a modern powerhouse of scientific and business innovation and a company that’s consistently outperformed in terms of long term stock price growth.
Chemistry in the new ‘Age of Electricity’
Big changes are ahead for the global energy system, according to the latest annual outlook from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA believes there is a need for stronger policies and greater investments to accelerate and expand the transition to cleaner and more secure technologies.
Standing on the shoulders of giants (wearing lab coats)
Few of us even register the huge impact that science has on us every day. The long history of advances in pharmaceuticals that keep us healthy, or the creation of the materials that keep us warm or safe, are developments that rarely few of us ponder deeply in our daily whirl.
Chemistry's AI revolution
As a tool for handling, investigating and analysing vast amounts of data, AI has no equal. The chemical industry, and particularly the pharmaceutical sector, has come to appreciate the impact of AI in terms of identifying new compounds, leading to new materials and therapies as well as new routes to manufacture for both new and existing compounds.
Reaching out
Chemical regulation has been near or at the top of every chemical company’s agenda for the last couple of decades. The EU’s Regulation – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, better known as Reach – was designed to provide protection for human health and the environment across the EU, which then included the UK.
Manifesto for science
Our industry is seeing significant change. The pressures of delivering net zero and the drive for sustainability have once again spotlighted science-based innovation as a key driver for future growth and value. Whilst many CEOs are reassessing their innovation portfolios and capabilities, countries are also assessing how best to capture future investments as these innovations scale.
Drug prospects for 2024
In 2023, the US pharma sector recorded the second ever highest level of new drug approvals since 2018. A total of 55 novel drugs were approved by the Food & Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), nearly 50% more than in 2022.