The global chemicals industry is pivotal to building a sustainable future but faces immense pressure to transform. Chemicals touch nearly all products, from fertilizers to pharmaceuticals. However, chemical manufacturing guzzles energy and belches emissions. If unchecked, greenhouse gases from chemicals could double in 30 years.

Governments and investors want cleaner, safer products. New regulations restrict toxic “forever chemicals” and plastic waste. The E.U. may soon bolster its strict chemical laws. America mandated drinking water utilities to remove harmful PFAS chemicals starting in 2023. Last year, the U.N. moved to forge a treaty slashing plastic pollution.

The path forward is through “digitization.” Advanced technologies can aid the circular economy, trace emissions, boost R&D, enhance safety, and more. Digital twin systems model physical assets to optimize efficiency. The Internet of Things tracks chemical shipments. Automation and AI accelerate the discovery of less-toxic materials.

Yet scaling digital transformation has pitfalls. Pilot projects proliferate, but unified strategies are rare. Companies succeeding at digitization have dedicated innovation teams, share and integrate data systems, and nurture digital skills.

The cyber threat also mushrooms as systems digitize. A 2017 attack at a Saudi petrochemical plant aimed to sabotage operations. As digital surfaces expand, so must cybersecurity.

Still, digital technology brings too many boons to ignore. At Paint Leader AkzoNobel, digital tweaks the customer experience via personalized offerings. Dow Chemical’s online chemical inventories and reaction trackers aim to prevent lab accidents.

Quantum computing may one day unravel complex molecular mysteries. It could slash the years-long process of developing new polymers down to months. AI already optimizes chemical reactions and hunts for safer substitute ingredients.

The chemicals sector faces challenges, but digitization offers tools to unravel them. Through collaboration on data standards, skilling up workforces, and tightly coordinating digital programs, the industry can perhaps build a sustainable future within reach. The clock ticks as the world watches and demands bolder climate action. But ingenious green chemistry innovation could yet write the next chapter for chemicals.

Read more of this article by MIT Technology Insights Review, sponsored by Revvity Signals here.