move chemical industry faces major challenges with relocation see the CEOs of the chemicals industry in the coming years, a multitude of challenges coming to him. First, the oil-dependent industry from rising raw material and energy costs far more affected than other industries. Second, it is subject to a worldwide growing and increasingly complex government regulation. More than the managers of other industries are the chairmen of the chemical industry is concerned that the environmental protection legislation and the ever-changing could affect requirements for carbon dioxide reduction, the growth of their businesses sustainable.
This is the result, the industry analysis of the audit and consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which was carried out as part of the study "11th Annual Global CEO Survey 2008th Chemicals Summary". The study was presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos presented. PwC surveyed 1,150 CEOs (Chief Executive Officer - CEO) from 50 countries, including 41 in the chemical industry.
skepticism also prevails in the short term
The top managers of chemical companies look even more skeptical of the relatively short period of next twelve months than their counterparts in most other industries. Only 39 percent of them say is "very confident" about the business during this period - across all industries around the world are there as much as 50 percent. This skepticism has deeper reasons: "The chemical industry experienced a number of developments much more closely than other industries," Volker boats, a partner at PwC in Germany explained responsible for the Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals. "The industry has to deal with the challenge of the increasingly expensive and scarce predicted crude oil and natural gas simultaneously its main raw materials. "A large part of the surveyed by PwC CEOs rising energy and thus raw material costs to be a significant risk - 83 percent of them see their future growth threatened seriously
impetus for growth from innovation
while. the average for all industries, only one third of the surveyed by PwC CEO worries or even worried about the impact of climate change on his company, expresses it in chemistry 59 percent. And with 54 percent also stated more than half of the CEOs stated that they already invest considerable sums to at Opportunities and risks of climate change - the global average for all industries there are only 38 percent. A quarter of CEOs (27 percent) of the industry is the ability to generate innovations to tackle climate change future revenue growth. In any case, are innovations for 42 percent of the CEOs of the major point of departure for future growth. Even in the short term: Almost a third (32 percent) believe that the development of new products for a key growth driver in the next twelve months.
Scarce staff expertise
But a number of other factors to make the CEOs of chemistry more concerned than their counterparts in other industries, such as on competition from low cost countries, over-regulation, the protection of their copyrights, recessionary trends in the major economies and the availability of qualified staff.
is precisely the question of employee counts for 95 percent of the respondents on the subject with the highest priority. And more than two thirds (68 percent) of the chemical makers are concerned that a lack of key skills, the business growth of the future could pose a serious threat.
Enhanced considers M & A activity in the chemical industry
Consequently it for almost half (49 percent) of surveyed CEOs for a meaningful strategy to take over other companies to come in this way to the required expertise. "Here we can already observe a clear trend in the market, "says Dr. Volker Fitzner, senior partner of the area advisory for Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals in Germany. "Many big players now specifically to small, technology-oriented companies to increase their own pace of innovation." Another key theme of the M & A activity is to develop new markets, in order to generate growth. For chemistry Asia is the primary: 69 percent of respondents plan to expand its M & A activity in this region in the coming year - an average of sectors it is only 37 percent. A second focus of the takeover plans North America is here to invest 55 percent of chemical companies - the average for all industries is 27 percent. The Middle East, 15 percent of chemical companies and 10 percent of companies in its sights.
over-regulation as a brake on growth
see as the growing risk of chemical chiefs over-regulation. That they threaten the future growth could, at least 61 percent of surveyed CEOs believe. Already, the chemical industry is one of the most regulated industries. The European Regulation for the collection, evaluation and authorization of chemicals (REACH), which is to ensure safety during transportation and manufacturing, has already caused significant cost increases. Likewise, the development of the UN Globally Harmonised System (GHS) for classification and labeling of chemicals. And in the U.S. Homeland Security shall submit to the additional burden on the chemical manufacturers - they have to protect their factories and transport chains against terrorism.
"As a counterweight to all the burdens of environmental protection, oil prices and government regulation remains the chemical companies, especially the permanent innovation not only their products but also all processes and procedures. And despite the competition in the industry, by new competitors exacerbated as in oil producing countries nor permanently, the CEOs try to satisfy as many areas - within the chemical industry, but also the downstream users - to work more closely together, " Dr. Volker Fitzner.
The PwC study "11th Annual Global CEO Survey. Chemicals Summary "can be obtained via the portal of PwC charged the following link: www.pwc.de / de / chemicals-pharma
Source: PWC
