Plugging the skills gap
Despite more people choosing to study STEM subjects at university, the scientific industry is still suffering from a significant skills shortage. Search Consultancy’s 2021 Skills Shortage Report shows 74% of organisations within the sector are currently feeling the strain, with a shortfall of around 173,000 skilled STEM workers. On average, this leaves business understaffed by 17%.
Focus on PFAS
A major challenge for industry, regulators and environmental professionals is reacting appropriately to emerging contaminants. This is especially relevant for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a broad group of some several thousand synthetic fluorochemicals, which are the focus of dramatically increasing regulatory action.
Cannabis in Europe
Some 60,000 people were able to access cannabis medications for the first time in Europe in 2020, bringing the total to 185,000 patients. The value of the European market will reach €406m by the end of 2021: a year-on-year growth of 75%. Read the full comment in C&I Magazine.
Carbon literacy
A ‘by chance’ conversation just over two years ago introduced BASF to the concept of Carbon Literacy training and set us on a journey of stakeholder engagement on climate change. We knew then that a problem exists (the climate crisis), that we as an organisation played our part in it and that we had a strategy aimed at overcoming it.