Resilient Industry Adapts to Challenges

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The 2026 SOCMA Contract Manufacturing Outlook captures an industry that is resilient, innovative,and prepared for the challenges ahead. Nearly 70 percent of survey responses came from companies with annual revenues of $100 million or less, providing a strong perspective from the small to midsized businesses that form the backbone of the specialty chemical sector.

The operating environment continues to be defined by tariffs, trade uncertainty, regulatory complexity, and an evolving cybersecurity landscape. Across three years of survey data from 2024 through 2026, one theme emerges clearly: there is certainty in uncertainty.

The story is one of continuity and agility — this industry not only adapts as market conditions shift but uses volatility as a proving ground for resilience and leadership. 

Chemistry Demand and Operational Investment Across three years of survey data, the mix of chemistries shifted dramatically, with legacy processes giving way to more specialized, value-added reactions. Polymerization, once the dominant process at nearly 60% in 2024, has fallen to just above 30% in 2026. By contrast, esterification has surged to more than 50%, making it the top-utilized chemistry, and ethoxylation has nearly doubled in demand. These movements highlight the industry’s pivot toward performance-driven and application-focused chemistries.