As part of a project launched in January 2018, named “Our Future Workplace: Digital transformation in the chemical industry”, the trade union IndustriAll Europe and the European Chemical Employers Group (ECEG) organised an online survey, with 500 respondents, as well as around 20 interviews with experts from 11 different countries, two conferences, group consultations, research and analysis of trends (see article n°10804), with the aim of finding out: what are the sector-specific transformations through digitalisation; what are potential impacts of the digital transformation on skills, working patterns and conditions; how digitally mature is the European chemical, pharmaceutical, and rubber and plastics industry?
First observation: the gap between the major groups and small and medium-sized companies in the sector when it comes to implementing the digital transformation. This gap is also set to widen with the integration of artificial intelligence technology. Furthermore, the gap is exacerbated looking at the skills that are soon to become indispensable and the level to which these are mastered; while basic digital skills seem to be acquired in a more or less homogenous fashion, it appears that SMEs are do not offer the same level of training when it comes to taking on more advanced transversal and digital skills, and are less aware of their importance.
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