Chemical Week

CW specialties editor Sotirios Frantzanas joins the podcast for a short discussion of key takeaways from FECC 2026, the annual conference of European chemical distributors. Topics include the outlook for chemical distribution in Europe and how distributors are weathering the continent's prolonged industrial downturn.

Chemical Week publisher and S&P Global Energy head of conferences content Rob Westervelt joins the podcast for a discussion of CW's Billion-Dollar Club issue and the 2026 Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC). Rob and podcast host Vincent Valk discuss the competitive pressure created by China's massive state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and how incumbent producers are responding, exemplified by this year's Billion-Dollar Club ranking. Rob also discusses some key takeaways from APPEC.

AlkaLi Labs co-founder and CEO, Luis Valencia, and BioMade program director/technology, David Nathan, and program manager, Jonathan Valdez, sit down with Chemical Week specialties editor Sotirios Frantzanas to discuss biomanufacturing developments, including a new biomanufacturing program led by AlkaLi Labs with support from BioMade that is developing a scalable microbial process to extract lithium from oil-field produced water.
The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Energy. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Chemical Week editors Vincent Valk and Sotirios Frantzanas and S&P Global Energy price reporter Nayana Khosla join host Jameson Croteau for a discussion on second quarter chemical earnings. The panel examines how Middle East geopolitical tensions and related supply disruptions temporarily tightened global markets, lifting margins for many North American and European producers even as underlying demand remained weak. Topics include supply-chain shifts, specialty chemicals' resilience, continued weakness in housing and automotive demand, and emerging growth areas such as semiconductors, data centers, aerospace and defense.

Federico Mennella, managing director and head of chemicals and materials, DC Advisory, joins host Vincent Valk for a discussion on the chemical M&A rebound in 2026. Large deals look to be returning as companies grow more comfortable with volatility and pursue portfolio repositioning, while smaller and midsized transactions remain constrained by financing and valuation gaps. Topics include AI-linked surges, private equity hesitation and which end markets remain the most resilient for deal making.
 
The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Energy. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.