McKinsey experts discuss how companies are preparing employees for the global changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. McKinsey estimates that demand for social and emotional skills (i.e. those that machines cannot master) will increase by 25% in the United States alone over the next decade, compared with a previously expected 18% increase. Some 107 ...

... produced from associated petroleum gas and naphtha, so when prices rose, polymer prices inevitably followed suit. Another important factor was that 2021 was also the year that, despite new waves of the virus, the global economy recovered from the COVID-19 crisis. Having dropped sharply in early 2020, demand for polymer products from processors began to recover in Q3 2020 and is likely to continue to grow. The supply, however, does not yet match the demand, and one of the reasons for this is the ...

... Youth EEF. This annual event saw several new additions, notably the Creative Business Forum and the Invest in Russia platform, which connected Russian regions’ investment agenda with foreign partners. Digital transformation, cooperation in the COVID-19 era and the shift to the ESG agenda were all discussed at the forum. The speakers also addressed attracting investment, growing Russia’s export capacity, carbon-free energy, the lumber industry and tourism in the Far East. Diplomatic representatives ...

... resources or dispose of them responsibly at the end of their life cycle. On top of this, we strictly adhere to ethical principles when interacting with all production chain participants – and we expect the same approach in return. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, BASF reshaped its operations quite seamlessly – we were already prepared for this kind of event. In 1992, we introduced the chemical industry’s international Responsible Care programme, which sets out rules for the safe management ...

See the new report from SIBUR’s Investment Planning and IR division on how OPEC+’s actions affect the oil market and how logistics impacts the entire petrochemical market. Business activity: PMI 50+ In Q2 2021, the market environment was similar to the first quarter. Despite high case rates, the post-pandemic recovery was ongoing. As a consequence, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in the US, EU and China exceeded 50. The government of China, where PMI was the lowest, decided to launch another...

... prices for basic materials. The situation has not stabilised since then. What is this sharp change in the market situation linked to? – The polymer market does not exist in isolation from other markets. 2020–2021 saw the shock of the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions and then deferred demand, as recognised by experts, leading to a sharp increase in prices for almost all raw materials. If you look at the price action on commodity exchanges, almost everything has grown in price over this time. ...

... Hospitals and public offices have abandoned glassware and switched to disposable alternatives. We sent several truckloads of free packaging to 12 hospitals in the region, including Clinical Hospital No. 3 in Yaroslavl, which was repurposed to treat COVID-19 patients. In 2021, we showed a marginal growth of around 1%; however, we consider this percentage as a good result. In order to achieve it, a lot of work was done, and thanks to the timely safety measures taken during the pandemic, the ...

... affected by the pandemic had the best of the bargain. Growth in the sectors of dietary supplements and flavorings for the food industry, biocides and agricultural feed additives, nutraceuticals and a series of other segments was about 5% versus 2019. COVID-19 turned some special-purpose chemicals into the market leaders in terms of growth (10%), such as the ones used to control the pandemic: sanitizers and disinfectants, chemicals used for manufacturing personal protective equipment, its transportation ...

... investments. The oil & gas industry is experiencing its third price slump in 12 years. It weathered its first two crises well, however this time is different – we are seeing supply chain disruptions alongside an unprecedented fall in demand amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This latest crisis has been exacerbated further by the ‘deep freeze’ in Texas, America’s key oil region, which led to short-term disruptions in key production and logistics chains. The financial and structural health of ...

... If we try to classify the tendencies which have changed the packaging sector in recent years, we can identify three broad themes: safety, sustainability and globalization. Safety The first theme gained particular significance from the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of how this period has affected the consumer market, the speaker shared three key trends. First of all, online trading has become more relevant. Second, plastic continues to maintain its value: more and more research confirms ...

... changing environment. On top of this, many organisations have had to deal with social justice issues, transitioning staff to remote work, finding ways to support employees, and now they are grappling with the legal implications surrounding the use of COVID-19 vaccines. It has also not slipped under the radar that the number of employees at least sometimes working from home is only set to grow. Nonetheless, there are at least eight other trends that will shape business in 2021. 1. Employers ...

... continue to recover, the Company believes that producers will not be able to make up for lost volumes until at least 2025. The negative momentum in the petrochemical industry persisted between January and September 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions. It was during this period that demand for bulk polymers, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene, fell most dramatically. The automotive industry ...

... highest levels in history,” says Alexey Kalachev, an analyst with Finam. Reasons for the price increase The price growth for high-tonnage polymers can be explained by the recovery in demand following a nosedive caused by the pandemic. The spread of COVID-19 in the world led to a decrease in demand for primary polymers fr om processors – a deep decline was observed from January to April 2020, when countries introduced lockdowns and prices for hydrocarbons hit the floor (additional pressure on the ...

... domestic market. But exports must grow, as without them there will be no investments, nor will real disposable incomes grow. This will have to be done under tougher conditions due a growth in protectionism, trade wars between major economies, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused fragility to the value chain. According to the minister, an export focus and import substitution are complementary strategies. Import substitution complements the Russian export-oriented economy, and the creation of ...

The Сompany’s efforts to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and the launch of ZapSibNeftekhim have created synergy that is driving a successful 2021. In just one year, the COVID-19 crisis has completely upended the way business is done in all industries and countries around the world. According ...