Chemical industry 2023
There are currently around 2100 chemical and pharmaceutical companies in Germany, employing around 466,000 people. Most German chemical companies (92%) are medium-sized structures with fewer than 500 employees.
The industry is currently confronted above all with challenges in the context of high energy costs, volatile availability and regulatory intervention. Action and rethinking are required, because despite all the challenges and crises that may come in 2023, many opportunities and design levers remain within the companies themselves.
Companies in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in Germany are focusing on change and transformation with the “Chemistry 4.0” era. To this end, many are investing in digitization projects and digital business models. This is because the combination of digital services with products in the industry is regarded as an essential key factor for additional value creation.
Most companies are investing in digital platforms for sales and are focusing on the use of social networks for customer interaction. In addition, some are driving digitization by using digital sources to collect data or by integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into their business models. Only rarely do companies use digital price differentiation strategies or digital crowdsourcing for innovative ideas.
In 2023, digitalization is also found in the top3 trends. In addition, the industry sees acquisition and market consolidation as an opportunity and is striving to achieve a balance between concentration and innovation in the product portfolio.