Evonik Oxeno issues White Paper: More resilience for Europe’s petrochemical industry
In its latest White Paper, Evonik Oxeno explores the resilience factors that help companies in the European petrochemical industry strengthen competitiveness and profitability despite disruptions.
- Petrochemical companies can strengthen competitiveness through resilience levers
- Efficiency, innovation, partnerships and skilled employees are key.
- Competitive energy prices and faster permits are also a must.
Marl, Germany. Evonik Oxeno has published its second White Paper on the future of the European petrochemical industry. The publication outlines key levers for more resilience that companies can pull to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging market.
The publication comes at a time when resilience has moved to the center of the European petrochemical debate. Under the theme "Rethinking Resilience", the upcoming 60th Annual Meeting of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) will address how Europe can strengthen competitiveness, advance sustainability and maintain global connectivity. Oxeno's White Paper contributes to the discussion by identifying and promoting key drivers that companies can deploy to strengthen their competitiveness in a changing market environment.
The European petrochemical industry is undergoing a profound transformation as market dynamics and geopolitical developments reshape the environment. At the same time, Europe’s strengths - integrated production networks, decades of process expertise, a highly skilled workforce and close cooperation across value chains - continue to provide a solid foundation for building resilience and creating long-term value.
"In the petrochemical industry, resilience is the ability to remain competitive and profitable in the face of disruptions," says Frank Beissmann, Managing Director of Evonik Oxeno GmbH & Co. KG. "Many of the factors that determine resilience are firmly embedded in our industry. The challenge is to keep strengthening them and to translate them into long-term competitiveness."
The White Paper identifies levers including efficiency, innovation and Artificial Intelligence, strong partnerships across the value chain and regional production networks to navigate increasingly uncertain markets. Beyond company level, the White Paper also highlights the importance of a supportive policy framework to enable the industry’s long-term competitiveness across Europe. "Building resilience is a joint effort," says Beissmann. "Petrochemical companies must continuously work on their strengths, while policymakers must create a framework that allows Europe to remain attractive for industrial production."
The White Paper “Building Resilience in the Petrochemical Industry” is available for download at: https://c4-chemicals.evonik.com/en/media/oxeno-whitepaper-2026-311148.html
Evonik: Leading beyond chemistry
Evonik goes beyond the boundaries of chemistry with its combination of innovative strength and leading technological expertise. The global chemical company, headquartered in Essen, Germany, is active in more than 100 countries and generated sales of €14.1 billion and earnings (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.9 billion in 2025. The common motivation of the approximately 31,000 employees: to provide customers with a decisive competitive advantage with tailor-made products and solutions as a superforce for industry, thereby improving people's lives. In all markets. Every day.
About Evonik Oxeno
Evonik Oxeno, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Evonik, is a leading company in C4 chemistry with 50 years of experience, operating two world-scale C4 production facilities in Marl and Antwerp. The flexibility of its integrated network allows Oxeno to quickly and efficiently respond to changing conditions in supply and demand, optimizing the complexity of value chains also for its suppliers and customers. Oxeno is recognized for its focus on innovation and sustainability, maintaining an impressive portfolio of approximately 2,100 patents and patent applications. Its C4 strategy is based on a solid foundation and defined measures for growth and transformation. The company’s vision, “Chemistry4Future® – We increase the value of C4 chemicals sustainably,” outlines its long-term goal and provides a clear idea of where it aims to see its business in the future.
Disclaimer
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.
