Chemicals at an inflection point and the AVEVA World Milan sessions you shouldn’t miss

Posted: April 29, 2026

After decades of outpacing global markets, the chemicals industry finds itself at an inflection point. The sector has grown by just two percent yearly since 2022—a notable contrast to the 24 percent growth recorded by global indexes in the same period. McKinsey points to overcapacity, high energy prices, regionalization, inflation, and workforce shifts as structural forces reshaping the industry's competitive landscape.^[1] Ongoing geopolitical uncertainty only exacerbates the petrochemical industry’s state of flux.

Smart companies, though, know that this shifting landscape is an opportunity to rethink strategy and differentiate. At AVEVA World Milan this year, industry leaders are gathering to share the strategies already delivering results.

Finding efficiencies in the “trilemma”

The chemicals business is confronting what many are calling a “trilemma”: an overcapacity of basic chemicals, declining production volume, and rising power and raw materials costs. There is increasing saturation in the market for basic chemicals. Many of the industry plants are now producing below capacity, and Deloitte projects a 0.2% contraction in overall production volumes for the sector.^[2] Adding further pressure, power costs are projected to rise with increased demand from industry, air conditioning, and data centers.^[3]

But for those who know where to look, new efficiencies can be found. At the plant level, companies are reducing unplanned downtime and optimizing operations by investing in improved sensors and advanced analytics to enable predictive maintenance. By connecting their data ecosystems, operators can monitor and adjust in real time, optimizing processes to ensure efficiency and reduce energy and materials costs. Taken together, these steps give enterprises the flexibility they need to respond to current energy price fluctuations. And with the benefit of digital twins, they can also determine, over the longer term, how to best make use of green energy sources to increase their competitive advantage.

When firms have the IoT sensors and advanced analytics in place for a connected data ecosystem, they can also achieve the supply chain visibility they need to act proactively and prevent delays. Increasingly, supply chain awareness is not just a cost-cutting strategy; it’s a way to ensure organizational stability as well as profit margins.

Learn how leading firms are getting efficient at AVEVA World

Resolving the trilemma will take more than theory. In Milan, industry leaders will share the practical strategies their organizations are using to navigate the chemicals sector's current complexity. Here are a few of the chemicals leaders presenting this year:

• Methanex used machine learning and generative AI to accelerate the response to anomalous events via automation. The world’s largest producer of methanol will present how it used Databricks on CONNECT and the asset framework feature of AVEVA™ PI System™ to create a system where data is delivered to operators rather than having to be accessed.
• Vianode, a finalist for AVEVA’s Sustainability Impact Award, produces high-performance synthetic anode graphite, which can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90%. Vianode plans to supply battery materials for 3 million EVs annually by 2030. The company will present on its sustainable battery plant and how it uses a suite of AVEVA software to scale production.
• Sasol will tell us how it used AVEVA™ Process Simulation to improve its operations across the petrochemical plant lifecycle. The global South African energy and chemicals company will demonstrate how simulation can evolve into a valuable living digital asset, boosting overall efficiency.
• Lanxess has created a scalable digital platform using multiple solutions including AVEVA PI System and AVEVA Process Simulation to optimize its plant operations. The speciality chemicals company will discuss how the digital platform monitors and boosts performance across its plants.
• Lamberti is on its way toward golden batch optimization of its chemical processes. The Italian chemicals developer will show how it’s using CONNECT and AVEVA™ Advanced Analytics to improve yield and stability and determine optimal energy usage.

Think together about technical challenges and opportunities

Alongside company presentations, we have roundtables and community groups that offer perspectives on the present and future of the industry, including:

AI-enabled asset performance, reliability, and advanced maintenance practices

Improving asset performance requires more than isolated tools. It depends on how well data, insight, strategy, and execution work together. In this roundtable, your peers will share how they’re applying AI across the asset lifecycle to sharpen decisions, prioritize work, and cut unplanned downtime.

Supercharging industrial performance with data, AI & partner apps

Curious about how your peers are using data, models, and AI? In this interactive community session, you’ll exchange ideas with leaders in the field about optimizing energy usage and improving overall efficiency.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

Ematica and AVEVA’s partnership is transforming industrial operations across chemicals, energy, and infrastructure. The two will discuss how layering AVEVA™ PI Vision™ and digital twins on top of AVEVA PI System enables operators to use real-time asset simulation and machine learning to catch failures before they happen.

Scaling smart manufacturing with MES, what works and what does not

Many organizations are still working to build flexible data ecosystems that can scale with their needs. Join the discussion to learn how to scale smart manufacturing by aligning MES and plant-level initiatives with broader organizational strategy.

Get inspired, get involved, take the road to Milan—and future success

The industry’s future is still taking shape, and you can help define it. Join us in Milan, May 19–21, connect with peers, exchange ideas, and get inspired. Together, we’re tackling the chemicals industry’s biggest 2026 challenges head‑on.

^{[1] Chantal Lorbeer, Obi Ezekoye, and Felix Rompen, “The state of the chemicals industry: Time for bold action and innovation,” McKinsey & Company, 18 Dec 2024. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/chemicals/our-insights/the-state-of-the-chemicals-industry-time-for-bold-action-and-innovation
[2] David Yankovitz, Kate Hardin, Robert Kumpf, and Ashlee Christian, “2026 Chemical Industry Outlook,” Deloitte, 03 Nov 2025. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/chemicals-and-specialty-materials/chemical-industry-outlook.html
[3] “Electricity Mid-Year Update 2025”, IEA, Paris. https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-mid-year-update-2025/demand-global-electricity-use-to-grow-strongly-in-2025-and-2026}