In Specialty Chemicals, Low-Quality Technological Frameworks Reduce Faith in Product Development

In recent years and amid stiff competition, specialty chemicals manufacturers’ growth has slowed. Flawed process structures have undermined confidence in R&D, affecting investor returns and causing a hesitancy to invest in new products.

It’s a self-fulfilling cycle: manufacturers rely on outdated technologies and deliver R&D results that fall short of modern expectations — and as a result, investors lose faith in the process and pull their money, leaving manufacturers with even fewer resources. But R&D has more ROI potential than these investors realize; a more effective approach would be to look at why inefficient process structures are causing less-than-optimal returns. In this paper, we will:

• Examine the state of the specialty chemicals industry overall, including how much manufacturers invest in research and development
• Consider how obsolete technology and manual R&D processes can create data silos
• Dive into the many consequences of siloed data, including lack of faith in the R&D process, poor project investment, and damaged customer relationships