The arrival of next-generation chemistry has the power to deliver a healthier and more sustainable future.

With the digitalisation and automation of processes and products transforming industries across the globe, there is no doubt that the fourth industrial revolution – known as Industry 4.0 – is well and truly upon us.

This new era has been particularly clear within chemical-using industries, leading to the concept of Chemistry 4.0 becoming widely adopted. As a result, great advancements have been made across these industries in the use of digital technologies to overcome current technical limitations, accelerate processes and improve productivity.

The tenth digital supplement, developed by Notch Communications and Chemistry World, celebrates these advancements, and explores how they are being leveraged to drive innovation within a range of pharmaceutical and life science industries.

In this supplement, our partners at Thermo Fisher Scientific discuss their collaboration with Brilliant Matters and explain how organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are set to usher in a new era of sustainable power. We hear from Arcinova about the applications of digital technology to further develop personalised medicine, and Umicore details the history of sought-after 4.0 materials and the new methods being used to recycle and recover precious metal materials.

In addition, CPI highlights how digital technologies are being used within the pharmaceutical industry to improve supply chains and increase the efficiency of therapeutic development. Finally, Brightline Diagnostics explains how optimised approaches to lateral flow testing can address today’s rapid diagnostic challenges.

From revolutionising energy production to advancing healthcare and pharmaceuticals, this supplement showcases the power of Chemistry 4.0 to fundamentally change the ways chemical-using industries work and deliver a brighter future for people across the globe. Our upcoming supplement will focus on the process of scientific discovery, highlighting the stories behind industry-transforming innovations. If you have a story to tell, please get in touch.

Welcome to chemistry 4.0