Expert inquiry on innovation options for cleaner production in the chemical industry

The prospects of further progress in cleaner production in the chemical industry are explored by means of an expert inquiry which looks at the ecological and economic potentials of different technological and business innovation options as well as barriers to their development. The outcome of the inquiry is analysed with a view to identify prospective priority areas for innovation support policies. The analysis shows that innovation leading to alternative synthetic pathways and a shift to selling services instead of products have especially high potentials for both strong positive ecological effects and to be important factors for competitiveness. The utilisation of these potentials depends, however, on whether different types of innovation barriers can be overcome. Suggestions are made as to how to develop policy measures to facilitate this.