Chemspec Europe: Conference Program 2026
The specialty chemicals exhibition Chemspec Europe has released more details about its conference program - including key topics, session content and new interactive formats for 2026.
Accompanying Chemspec Europe on May 6 and 7 at Koelnmesse, the program addresses the most pressing issues and opportunities affecting the fine and specialty chemicals industry today.
Two conference stages with focused content
Across both days of the trade fair, the program offers more than 30 sessions with leading industry experts, providing plenty of strategic orientation and technical depth.
For 2026, the conference is divided into two themed streams, each with its own stage - allowing visitors to quickly find the content that is most relevant to them and their business goals.
The Strategy Stage takes a broad look at the business, regulatory and geopolitical environment that is shaping the industry today. Topics include government policy and industry support, global trade dynamics, supply chain stability, compliance requirements and the path to carbon neutrality. The highlight session on Wednesday, "First China, now India: Is there room for other markets to compete?", will examine the question of how companies beyond China and India can develop competitive strategies for advanced, sustainable and digital chemical production. Other sessions will cover future growth strategies, partnership models and trade and customs risks - and give decision-makers a sound overview of how they can strengthen their competitiveness in the global market.
In a second thematic stream, the Molecule Hub will focus on technical innovations and application-oriented content. The keynote "Navigating global chemical regulations - what to expect in 2026-2027" will kick off the event on Wednesday with an outlook on upcoming regulatory developments and their impact on global supply chains. Other sessions will be dedicated to current developments in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and sustainable materials - with a focus on digital R&D, continuous manufacturing and green chemistry. Experts will gain practical insights into AI-assisted formulation, next-gen biopesticides, circular chemistry and continuous flow production - providing them with concrete strategies for more innovation and better performance.
Reactive: the new roundtables for 2026
For the first time, Chemspec Europe 2026 will host moderated roundtables, offering a particularly interactive forum for experts from R&D, purchasing, production, sustainability, regulation and corporate strategy. The aim is an open exchange of experiences on key industry topics: Sustainability at the molecular design level, the use of patent analysis for competitive advantage, greater energy efficiency through process innovation and dealing with complex global regulatory requirements. The roundtables will be moderated by top-class experts.
The roundtables create space for a direct exchange between specialist colleagues - and thus promote concrete knowledge transfer and joint approaches to solutions for current industry challenges. The number of participants is limited. Interested parties should register as soon as possible via the Chemspec Europe matchmaking platform.
With industry expertise to the top
The conference program offers a high-caliber speaker line-up with industry leaders and experts from all areas of the chemical value chain. Confirmed speakers include representatives from BASF, Lonza, Dassault Systèmes, E.ON, Global Product Compliance Group, Corning, Verbio, High-Tech Gründerfonds and Newcastle University. Case studies and practical insights will be presented on key topics such as digital transformation, sustainable manufacturing, compliance and material innovation.
The Chemspec Europe matchmaking platform is now available to help visitors and exhibitors make the most of the expert knowledge at the show. The platform helps users to find the right industry contacts, plan meetings in advance and network specifically for knowledge exchange and business partnerships.
With vision through the market
Christiane Beck, Event Director of Chemspec Europe, explains: "The Chemspec Europe conference program has been deliberately tailored to the challenges of today's market - where companies need to balance innovation, sustainability and resilience without losing sight of the growing regulatory and geopolitical challenges. With the clear division into two topic streams and new interactive formats such as the roundtables, we are specifically creating more space for valuable knowledge exchange. Whether it's general industry challenges, digital transformation in R&D or making supply chains more sustainable, the program provides the strategic insights and technical expertise to operate with confidence in a highly dynamic market environment."
Chemspec Europe 2026 will take place from May 6-7 at Koelnmesse.
