The chemical industry is moving toward bio-based feedstocks and circular value chains. The bio-based chemicals market alone is projected to grow from $113 billion in 2025 to $251 billion by 2035. However, scaling these technologies profitably remains a significant challenge for most producers.
Recent research shows that of the 158 million metric tonnes of chemicals produced each year, only 10% are recycled – leaving 40-100 million metric tonnes as waste yearly. Meanwhile, the European Union’s newly approved targets for chemical recycling content in plastic packaging and the impending Circular Economy Act (due for adoption in 2026) are adding regulatory pressure to the industry.
To move past the sustainability marketing and address the actual P&L impact, AUTOMA Chem 2026 (26-27 October, Berlin) features an exclusive roundtable with confirmed speakers from Evonik and Worley, alongside other leading chemical players. The agenda covers engineering breakthroughs and economic hurdles that must be overcome to make circular chemistry work at scale.
Who Pays for Circularity When Specs Don’t Fit?
Products made from circular materials frequently fail to meet the specifications of virgin materials, which creates a significant commercial challenge. McKinsey research points to a $50 billion investment opportunity to add 20-25 million tonnes of advanced recycling capacity. The question is whether customers will actually pay the premium.
At the roundtable session, Miguel Perdigão Silva, Senior Process Engineer at Worley, tackles the economic reality. He explains the process engineering and techno-economic modelling needed to align circular production costs with market realities, and how to create value when customers won’t pay extra for “green” specs.
Scaling Bio-Based Innovation Beyond the Pilot Plant
Switching from fossil feedstocks to bio-based alternatives requires new catalytic pathways, not just minor process tweaks. The bio-based platform chemicals market is estimated at $15.4 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $24.8 billion by 2033 – but most innovations are still stuck in pilot plants.
In his presentation, Markus Hartung, Vice President Region EMEA & Global Commercial Processes Catalysts at Evonik Operations GmbH, shows how advanced catalyst design and strategic partnerships across industries are what actually take bio-based chemical processes from lab-scale innovation to commercial scale.
Solving the PU Recycling Problem
While PET recycling is becoming standard, polyurethane (PU) is much harder to recycle. Global PU production hit 26 million tonnes in 2023, with PU foam alone making up 14 million tonnes – 67% of the market. Most PU products are not biodegradable and persist in landfills for decades. To solve this problem, Andree Blesgen, Head of Technology Platform Depolymerisation Technologies at Evonik Operations GmbH, presents Evonik’s approach to PU recycling. He explains how Evonik’s depolymerisation technology breaks down complex PU waste into high-quality raw materials at an industrial scale.
Closed-Door Working Format
The engineering and economic models for circular chemistry are being worked out now. AUTOMA Chem 2026 brings together more than 250 senior leaders with speakers from Evonik, Linde, Worley, Technip Energies, WACKER Chemie and others to share the frameworks that are already scaling in production.