Chemieagenda 2045 – Important Signal, But Not Yet an Innovation Breakthrough
Chemieagenda 2045 shows that Berlin has understood the pressure facing the chemical sector, from high energy costs and regulatory burdens to the broader question of Europe’s industrial competitiveness. That matters, and it deserves to be taken seriously. But from IGC’s perspective, stabilising existing structures can only be one part of the answer. If Germany and Europe want a resilient, climate-aligned and globally competitive chemical industry, they also need to create better conditions for green chemistry, new production technologies and the next generation of industrial innovators. The real question is not only how to protect what already exists, but how to build what comes next.
NEWS
Angela Kroll
4/2/20262 min read
What the agenda gets right
The German government’s Chemieagenda 2045 sends an important signal: Berlin has understood how much pressure the chemical sector is under.
The agenda rightly focuses on acute pain points such as high energy prices, ETS and CBAM, REACH complexity, and administrative burdens in implementing the Industrial Emissions Directive.
From IGC’s perspective, this is a necessary step, but not the full answer.
Where the debate still falls short
So far, the political debate has focused mainly on stabilising existing structures. What receives far less attention is a second task that matters just as much: building the next industrial generation in Europe.
This is where IGC’s position is clear. Green chemistry, innovative process technologies and new pharmaceutical manufacturing pathways should be treated as strategic technologies in their own right.
At the moment, many of these solutions remain structurally disadvantaged in European funding frameworks compared with other deep-tech areas, even though they are essential to decarbonisation, industrial resilience and the reshoring of critical production.
The gap is especially visible in pharma
The pharmaceutical sector makes this gap especially visible. If Europe wants to bring API production back onshore, declarations of intent will not be enough.
What is needed are faster regulatory pathways for new processes, a more innovation-friendly implementation of the Critical Medicines Act, and better access to finance for young production companies.
Startups and scale-ups can provide exactly these solutions. Yet they often run into slow approval timelines, complex administrative requirements and eligibility criteria designed for incumbents rather than innovators.
What needs to change
Against this backdrop, Chemieagenda 2045 deserves a balanced assessment. It comes at the right moment and addresses real problems, but it still falls short of a genuine innovation strategy.
A future-proof chemistry policy must connect competitiveness and climate neutrality with a clear path for innovation.
In practical terms, that means three things:
Integrate green chemistry, green engineering and innovative pharmaceutical manufacturing into strategic funding instruments such as STEP.
Open industrial policy programmes to startups and new production actors, including dedicated access routes and criteria that fit early-stage and scaling companies.
Significantly accelerate regulatory procedures for sustainable process innovation, especially for APIs and other critical substances.
From relief to renewal
If Germany and Europe want to secure their chemical and pharmaceutical base over the long term, crisis management for the existing industry will not be enough.
Chemieagenda 2045 should become the starting point for a real reindustrialisation — one that is open to new technologies, new companies and new production models.
That is the direction IGC is arguing for.