Technology & Innovation

Longevity is reshaping beauty and personal care as consumers shift from anti-ageing fixes to long-term healthspan. In-cosmetics Global has released an Innovation Report, developed with Euromonitor International and sponsored by Coachchem, examining the science and trends behind this change. Nearly half of consumers now prioritise looking healthy over purely aesthetic results. The report covers biotechnology, precision fermentation, microbiome science, PDRN, exosome-inspired delivery and biomarke

• incosmetic
• beauty
• glp-1
• personal care
• Longevity

Covestro has launched a new pMDI grade in Europe, Desmodur® ClimateValue, with a product carbon footprint around 25% lower than comparable standard Desmodur® grades used in insulation. The reduction comes from renewable energy, process improvements, higher efficiency and supply-chain decarbonization, assessed through cradle-to-gate LCA verified by TÜV Rheinland. The grade is commercially available from Covestro's German sites.Desmodur® CV is designed to work within existing formulations and proc

• PMDI
• Covestro
• Desmodur®
• Polyurethane

CNS drug development is shifting as brain-shuttle delivery, gene therapy, multi-target strategies and AI-assisted discovery move from concept toward practice. The blood-brain barrier has long limited brain exposure, and diseases like Alzheimer's involve interconnected mechanisms. In 2026, the Alzheimer's pipeline lists 158 drugs across 192 trials, with disease-targeted therapies dominating and research spanning amyloid, tau, inflammation and synaptic function. Brain-shuttle technology uses recep

• CNS
• gene
• therapy
• ai
• brain

Evonik broke ground on a roughly €80 million biotechnology expansion at its Fermas site in Slovenská Ľupča, Slovakia, on September 14. The project is due for completion in early 2028 and will add about 50 local jobs. It is Evonik's second major investment there, after its 2022 rhamnolipid biosurfactant plant. The expansion centers on advanced downstream fermentation, separation, and purification technologies. Once microorganisms synthesize target products, they must be separated, purified, conce

• Evonik
• Pharmaceutical
• CDMO

Clariant has signed a supply contract with Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical (ZPC) to provide CATOFIN catalyst and Heat Generating Material for a new propane dehydrogenation unit in China. With a designed capacity of 1.2 million metric tons per year, the plant will be the world's largest licensed PDH unit once complete. The propylene it produces will feed high-value petrochemical derivatives. CATOFIN is offered jointly by Clariant and Lummus Technology, combining process licensing with catalyst supp

• Clariant
• Catalyst

LG Chem has announced a technical collaboration with Hunan Kejing New Energy Technology in carbon nanotubes, jointly developing Hybrid CNT, a next-generation battery conductive agent. CNTs conduct electricity and heat well, improving electron transport in electrodes at low loading and boosting rate performance plus high/low-temperature behavior. With fast-charging LFP batteries scaling up, demand for high-performance CNT conductive agents keeps rising. LG Chem reportedly holds over 550 CNT-relat

• LGChem
• KejingNewEnergy

Aix-en-Provence, France — September 2026. Laboratoire PYC has introduced Blue Cell Elixir, a powdered nutricosmetic supplement created for brands seeking to strengthen their premium ranges. Developed and manufactured in France, the concept blends peptide science, absorption technologies and a sensory daily ritual. Cellular Beauty as a Daily Ritual Positioned in the cellular beauty segment, Blue Cell Elixir combines nutrients linked to key skin functions: normal collagen formation, protection of

• Laboratoire PYC
• Blue Cell Elixir
• nutricosmetics
• beauty
• food supplement

Avantium has commissioned the purification unit at its FDCA Flagship Plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, completing commissioning of all major process units at what it calls the world's first commercial-scale FDCA facility. Integrated start-up is ongoing ahead of first FDCA batches, with commercial deliveries under offtake agreements expected late 2026, subject to start-up and product qualification. The plant targets roughly 5,000 tonnes annually. FDCA, made from plant-based sugars via Avantium'

• FDCA
• Avantium
• furandicarboxylic acid
• PEF
• YXY®

A proposed process concept turns methanol plant purge gas from a waste stream into feedstock for ammonia production, creating a new route for chemical process integration and resource recovery. The approach combines hydrogen recovery, ammonia synthesis and energy-integration technologies to extract added value from gases that would otherwise be purged or flared. Purge gas from the methanol synthesis loop can contain roughly 69.7% hydrogen along with methane, carbon monoxide and other components.

• Methanol
• Ammonia
• gas
• Hydrogen
• Recycle

Polyurethane is one of the most widely used plastics, valued for its durability and versatility across products like mattresses, insulation, and car parts. However, recycling it at the end of its life has remained a major challenge. A new chemical recycling technology from KU Leuven can break polyurethane waste down into its original building blocks—polyols and isocyanates—which can then be reused to make new polyurethane. The technology is moving toward commercialization through Purtiso, a spin

• Purtiso
• Polyurethane
• Polyols
• Isocyanates
• Recycling

Researchers have developed a fluorine-free superhydrophobic coating from cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) using a sequential solvent exchange method. The coating achieves a water contact angle exceeding 155° and withstands mechanical abrasion, extreme pH, salt exposure, and icing. By transferring CNFs into a stable cyclohexane dispersion for spray application, the team avoided irreversible aggregation. Combined with PDMS and a vapor-phase MTMS treatment, this renewable, PFAS-free approach offers a d

• Cellulose
• Nanofibrils
• Coating
• Solvent
• Fluorine

Sinopec Chongqing SVW Chemical has launched a new 50,000-tonne specialty polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) resin unit, lifting its total capacity to 210,000 tonnes per year. The facility now ranks as the world's largest single-site high-end PVA production base and fourth globally in overall capacity. The first shipment has already been dispatched to Europe.High-end PVA, previously reliant on imports, is essential for optical films, pharmaceuticals, and safety glass. The new unit uses advanced alcoholysis

• SVWChemical
• PVA

CF Industries, JERA and Mitsui have begun construction of the $3.7 billion Blue Point One project in Louisiana, a 1.4 million-tonne-per-year low-carbon ammonia facility scheduled to begin production in 2029.

• Blue Point One
• Low Carbon Ammonia
• CF Industries
• Carbon Capture Storage
• Global Ammonia Market

Mitsubishi Chemical is moving forward with plans to commercialize ultra‑high purity colloidal silica, a key raw material for polishing agents in advanced semiconductor production. A new facility will be built at the Kyushu Plant in Kitakyushu City, with commercial operations slated for October 2028.Colloidal silica is essential for silicon wafer planarization and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of interconnect layers. The material must deliver high removal rates, nanometer‑level flatness, an

• MitsubishiChemicalCorporation
• UltraHighPurityColloidalSilica
• Semiconductor

BASF and Thai consumer goods company NEO Corporate have formed a strategic partnership to develop next-generation personal care solutions. Announced in Bangkok on August 20, 2026, the collaboration combines BASF's expertise in ingredient R&D and formulation design with NEO Corporate's market insights and consumer knowledge from its nine brands, including Eversense and Vivite. The goal is to accelerate development from raw materials to finished products and strengthen competitiveness in Southeast

• BASF
• NEOCorporate
• personalcare

Wacker Chemie launched Helisol EC in August 2026, a silicone-based immersion cooling fluid engineered for data center thermal management. This single-phase coolant, formulated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), fully submerges electronic components in a non-conductive liquid that absorbs heat without phase change. Operating from –100°C to +100°C with a flash point above 200°C, it prioritizes safety. Notably, Helisol EC is PFAS-free, offering a lower-hazard alternative to conventional coolants fac

• Wacker
• CoolingFluid
• FineChemicals

Currently, RNAi biopesticides target above-ground leaf munching pests. Now, Renaissance, after successfully focusing its RNAi tech on pests that eat foliage, is looking to extend its yeast-based biopesticide tech to below-ground soil-dwelling pests – an enormous new potential market for RNAi biopesticide technology generally and for Renaissance specifically.

• agrochemical
• Pesticide
• RNAi
• agriculture
• wireworms

Gazprom Neft says AI reduced the screening and synthesis of an oil-recovery molecule to three months, although field-scale economic and production results have not yet been disclosed.

• Gazprom Neft
• AI molecule design
• oilfield chemicals
• enhanced oil recovery
• chemical innovation

Daicel’s four new DURACON grades combine 30% post-consumer recycled POM with application-specific performance for automotive, electrical and precision-engineering markets.

• Daicel
• recycled POM
• post consumer recycling
• engineering plastics
• circular materials

On July 24, 2026, Wanhua Chemical Group received a new invention patent for a toluene diisocyanate (TDI) production system and method. The core innovation integrates a rectification column with a dividing wall column, creating three functional sections: rectifying, isomer control, and stripping. This design simultaneously removes impurities, adjusts the TDI isomer ratio, and optimizes energy use. High-end applications like automotive foams require precise isomer stability, which this patent deli

• TDI
• Wanhua
• FineChemicals