SUSTAINABILITY
Generation Z is the first globally connected generation
we consume films and music – can also help . Instead of maintenance engineers having to take large booklets of instructions around with them that may be partly out-of-date , they can perform their tasks via a tablet or other digital tools .
Material exchange platforms , industry-specific equivalents of eBay , are slowly being adopted in the chemical industry , making us more aware that materials can have a second life . Manufacturing as a service is of particular interest to start-ups , enabling them to avoid capex costs . Finally , industry platforms enable companies to communicate with each other more easily . All of this is made possible by digital technology .
Sustainable employment
One often-overlooked aspect of the sustainability challenge is employment . Eurofound , in 2015 , defined sustainable employment as “ working and living conditions that support people in engaging and remaining in work throughout an extended working life ”. 3 Here , too , digitalisation is key .
Sustainable employment revolves around job quality – i . e . job content and employment conditions - and the quality of working life . This a more individual matter but important aspects of it include work-life balance , the development of skills and competences , health and well-being , work engagement and social protection . The last two are particularly important to the rising young generations .
A big change is already taking place in the workforce . By 2026 , Generation Z will be about 25 % of the workforce and this will have a major impact on the way we work . They are the first global generation , who grew up taking the Internet for granted and have friends and contacts all over the world . They are highly mobile , curious and technologically adept . To survive , existing companies must fight a war for talent and engage with Generation Z .
Start-up opportunities
Digitalisation gives us many opportunities , but two of the most important are reshaping value chains and empowering people . The first has several aspects , notably : customer focus , transparency and responsible consumption , which “ aims to integrate social , environmental , and ethical aspects into purchasing decisions ”.
This is already happening at consumer level , with people seeking products for environmental reasons rather than price . It will slowly evolve into many other kinds of decision-making when it comes to , say , audits that come out of the chemical industry .
Value chains will be reshaped accordingly . ChemChimp itself , for example , has developed a pioneering digital tool to manage slow- and non-moving materials preventing unnecessary waste called ChemSmog , which focuses on valorising potential chemical waste and providing sustainable options for the chemical industry . ChemSmog is already enabling people to make a conscious decision about purchasing materials that are close to expiration or in short stock by evaluating their probable socio-economical impact on the environment .
Empowering people is a vital theme to the generations coming and a top ambition of ChemChimp . This means decent work and reduced inequalities , a good work-life balance , and opportunities for personal growth and mentorship . We see a big difference in outlook between the new and outgoing generations with regard to all these , and the digitalisation process will afford more opportunities for people to take more control of these things . ●
Tom Schoffelen
GENERAL MANAGER
References : 1 : Gartner Information Technology , 2021 . https :// www . gartner . com / en / information-technology / glossary / digitalization 2 : OECD . Circular models for the business economy , 2019 : https :// www . oecd . org / environment / business-models-for-the-circular-economyg2g9dd62-en . htm 3 : Eurofound , Sixth European Working Conditions Survey , 2015 : https :// www . eurofound . europa . eu / surveys / european-working-conditions-surveys / sixth-european-working-conditions-survey-2015
CHEMCHIMP SRL k 39 3339 034117 J www . chemchimp . com j www . chem-smog . com
48 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981