Industrial growth opportunities

Since 1971, the overall demand for isocyanates has increased at a compounded rate of 12%. Although this level will not likely be sustained in the future due to the maturation of key appHcation markets, it is probable that additional growth will occur through the year 2000. This trend will likely iaclude a shift in emphasis from TDl to MDl and polymeric MDl-based materials. New growth opportunities in the constmction industry, stmctural appHcations, and growth in the automotive industry exist. Third-world markets are also anticipated to provide growth opportunities. 

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Let us look at another example. Commodity chemicals, too, suffer from potential overreactions - not, in this case, because of wrong estimations of growth opportunities, but because capital markets are fooled to some extent by the industry s marked cyclicality. 

Sustained food and therefore agricultural demand will secure the industry s profitable growth in the future. Further expansion towards consumer markets is adding additional momentum for broader growth opportunities. 

Widen value chain participation. Finally, in some segments of the chemical industry (in particular specialties), opportunities stiU exist to use the traditional skills of R D and application development, but to target them at new customers further down the value chain. This move mirrors the approach attempted by many in the industry twenty years ago when they shifted portfolios from commodity to specialty chemicals in search of higher margins. It was not a particularly successful strategy at the time, both because of the number of players that sought to become specialty manufacturers and because the capital markets were skeptical about the growth opportunities for specialties. 

The answer is that it offers tremendous growth opportunities, and in pharmaceuticals, where its application is more advanced than in any other industry, it has demonstrated that it can deliver high returns. Over the past ten years, most of the truly innovative drugs - those that address an unmet medical need - have come from the application of biotechnology. 

Biotechnology has "emerged as a global discipline" (1 ), has been identified as an area which offers significant new opportunities for future industrial growth, and has been designated as a priority for research and development by most governments ( ). 

Multilayer coextrusion of thermoplastic film and sheet has developed into an important plastic fabrication process, providing large growth opportunities for the plastics industry. Coextruded multilayer plastics are challenging such traditional materials as metals, glass, paper, and textiles. 

This method opened up both industrial production opportunities and allowed research laboratories to easily produce substantial quantities of developmental products. Microcarrier culture is the most versatile, reliable, and characterized procedure for unit volume scale-up of anchorage-dependent cells. It has had widespread use for industrial processes [vaccines, interferon, tPA, and human growth hormone (hGH)] as well as many developmental uses, has been scaled-up to 4000 L, and has the potential for process intensification by perfusion with spin filters or by the use of microporous microcarriers. 

As the economy picks up in Europe, the eonstruetion industry should offer interesting growth opportunities for PP in carpets as well as woven and nonwoven geotextiles. In the medical industry, PP will get a boost, as radiation sterilizable grades become available. 

The market for switches has been strongly influenced by the electronics industry s demand for ever-greater miniaturization. This trend increasingly requires high accuracy and close tolerances in piece parts. It also provides growth opportunities for designers and manufacturers able to solve these problems. 

Amino resin has benefited from the fast-growing paints and coatings industry, which will continue to offer the best growth opportunity. Monsanto and Shanghai Coatings Co have set up a joint venture in Shanghai to manufacture amino resins in China. 

Packaging, construction and automotive markets offer the best growth opportunities for plastics development. The increasing demand for plastic packaging is a result of the rapid development of industrial goods, chemical products, consumer products, food, appliance and other industries in China. The packaging industry had consumed 5.3 million tonnes of plastics in 1998 and advanced by 12.8% annually to 9.6 million tonnes by 2003. 

The demand for plastics in other markets increased to 1.6 million tonnes in 2003. Heavy demand came from the rapid development of telecommunication, machinery and equipment, electronics, computer and health care industries. Plastics used in wire and cable provide a diversified growth opportunity due to the surging demand for phones and telecommunication equipment. The Chinese electronic industry is also a key plastic end user. The fast-growing demand for electronic products and computers will continue to benefit the plastic industry especially the emerging engineering plastics sector. 

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