Brussels, 14th March, 2019 – “The future of the EU chemical industry will depend heavily on how well equipped the next generation of chemists are when it comes to skills”, said Cefic Executive Director for Innovation Pierre Barthélemy, at a workshop organised at the European Parliament by EuChemS, The European Chemical Society, in Brussels, on March 7.
Dr Pierre Barthélemycommented on the growing trend he saw in large-scale collaborative researchinvolving both academia and industry, especially in thePublic-Private-Partnerships such as SPIRE and the Biobased Industriesinitiatives.
Lambert van Nistelrooij, MEPhighlighted how essential chemistry was for regional economies across Europeand stressed the potential impact of the European Regional Development Fund(ERDF) to develop talent, innovation and growth in the regions, especially inthe context of the developing bio-economy and circular economy.
The vast majority of chemicalscientists work in research and innovation, with some three million jobs inchemistry across Europe. “The chemical sciences have a central role indelivering solutions to societal challenges,” stated Angelova-Krasteva from theEuropean Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport andCulture.
The latest employability figures of chemical scientists in Europe have recently been published by EuChemS.