Digitalization is a very important topic not only in the chemical industry as a whole, but also in chemical distribution. As Wolfgang Falter states in his article: Customers increasingly search online and initiate digital contacts via websites, social networks, search engines and commercial platforms. Those distributors that they do not find online are no longer present in the relevant markets.

This development has led to many discussions within the chemical distribution industry on how best to address the issue of digitalization.

CHEManager asked executives and industry experts familiar with the development of e-commerce in chemical distribution to share their opinion on what needs to be done in order to survive in an increasingly competitive environment and how to deal with a possible disruption caused by new digital developments. We wanted to know:

• Will e-commerce platforms in chemical distribution be more successful today than CheMatch, ChemSystems, ChemConnect et. al. were 20 years ago?
• Who in the chemical supply chain from principal to distributor, logistics provider, online retailer, start-up to customer will be winners/losers in online distribution?
• What do you (either alone or with partners) plan regarding online distribution?

Read the insightful answers of the experts here.

Thorsten Lampe
Managing director, Asellion

Hans-Jörg Bertschi
Executive chairman (Board of Directors), Bertschi

Peter Wilkes
Managing director, Biesterfeld Spezialchemie

Jürgen Rietschle
Managing director, Bodo Möller Chemie

Steve Holland
CEO, Brenntag

Marko Grozdanovic
Managing director, BTC Europe

Timo von Bargen
Venture lead, Chemberry

Christian Bürger
Managing director, Chembid

Sebastian Brenner
Managing director, Chemondis

Hermann Bach
Head of Innovation Management, Covestro

Robert Späth
Managing director, CSC Jäklechemie

David Cahn
Director Global Marketing, Elemica

Christopher Erbslöh
Managing director, C.H. Erbslöh

Thomas A. Dassler
Managing director, Häffner

Thorsten Harke
CEO, Harke Group

Frank Schneider
Director Coatings & Construction and managing director Germany, IMCD

Markus Kanis
Executive vice president Industrial & Chemical, Imperial Logistic

Bharat Bhardwaj
CEO, Noahs Ark Chemicals

Jouke Eijssen
Director Digital, Nouryon

Peter Overlack
Co-CEO, Oqema

Alexander Lakemeyer
CEO, Pinpools

Matthias Mirbach
Nember of management board, Stockmeier Holding

Andreas Früh
CEO, TER Chemicals

Axel Schmidt
Chief digital officer Customers, Wacker Chemie