Every March, LogiChem gathers the chemical sector’s most forward-thinking supply chain leaders under one roof – and this year was no different. Insightful and fascinating discussions were the order of the day at LogiChem 2025, covering topics that ranged from digitization and complexity to the need for stronger supply chain collaboration.
And the buzz wasn’t limited to the presentations in the main hall! Even among the candid hallway conversations, a few clear signals emerged: companies can no longer afford to stay in “wait and see” mode; the challenges are universal, the direction is agreed upon, and the time for action is now.
In this blog we will provide a peek behind the curtain and relay the top themes we heard at LogiChem, presented as an action-oriented guide for leaders who want to move beyond reflection and into execution.
With increasing volatility and uncertainty encroaching from all directions, companies in 2025 need decision-making that is faster, smarter, and more deeply connected across functions and partners. This is why one of the strongest sentiments echoing throughout this year’s event was that data has moved past simply being an enabler: today, it’s a key driver.
As a result, many of the industry’s biggest movers are now investing in AI-driven solutions that leverage the vast amounts of data that their supply chains generate to help them detect, decide, and act in near real-time. From intelligent demand sensing, through real-time visibility tools, to supply chain control towers that enable end-to-end oversight, these solutions promise to turn supply chain data from a black box into a dynamic and transparent information network.
On paper, this is great: hand over all the hard work to digital systems and let AI crunch the numbers for you – but there’s a catch. No matter how advanced the analytics are, they can only ever be as good as the data that feeds them, and master data accuracy remains one of the most common stumbling blocks in digital transformation. Indeed, many chemicals companies still struggle with inconsistent product hierarchies, fragmented data ownership, and legacy systems.
That’s precisely why data strategy and data governance are moving up the agenda. More and more, companies see clean and connected data as more than just an IT hygiene factor and, instead, as a critical strategic asset and a prerequisite for digital maturity.
At Bluecrux, we leverage a unique combination of expertise and technology to help chemical leaders operationalize their data ambitions. With our cutting-edge digital supply chain twin tool, Axon™, we provide planners and executives alike with a unified view of reality by connecting and contextualizing data across functional and systems silos. Meanwhile, by working directly with our customers to fix the fundamentals, our tailored data strategy engagements allow their teams to fully unlock the power of intelligent planning.
Another gear-change highlighted at LogiChem 2025 is that the days of rigid, slow-moving supply chains are over. Agility can no longer be considered a mere differentiator but an absolute necessity, and this extends beyond just operational agility, into strategic agility. Being able to pivot quickly, make informed trade-offs, and continuously update plans based on changing conditions are all now indispensable assets in supply chain management.
It’s no surprise, then, that some of the biggest chemicals companies have started to adopt scenario planning tools and digital twin technologies, allowing them to model potential disruptions and explore alternative paths before they become urgent. Others are building more flexible sourcing strategies, qualifying multiple suppliers or even reshoring part of their networks to respond more quickly to demand shifts or geopolitical risks.
But agility isn’t just about implementing new tools and targets; it’s a mindset. At the board level, flexibility is becoming a key consideration in supply chain investment decisions. To quote one senior executive: “We used to ask, ‘What’s the cost?’ Now we ask, ‘What’s the cost of not being agile enough?’”
At Bluecrux, we’ve spent over a decade working with industry specialists to embed agility at the very heart of chemical manufacturing operations. That’s how we recently helped a major specialty chemicals organization to maximize confidence in their every plan. By redesigning their planning processes – building-in scenario capabilities, aligning cross-functional teams, and implementing Axon to simulate supply-demand trade-offs in real time – we offered them not just faster reactions but fundamentally better foresight. That’s just how we work.
It’s clear that, just below the surface, modern supply chains increasingly rely on interconnected, digitized internal processes. On the other hand, that same level of interconnectedness isn’t always as advanced above the surface, where true end-to-end collaboration across the value chain often remains a work in progress.
Nevertheless, this is an area where we saw some definite movement at this year’s LogiChem event: there was a clear push toward promoting deeper, more strategic partnerships, at both the internal and external levels.
Most companies now acknowledge that the traditional, departmentally segregated way of working is unsustainable in an increasingly connected landscape. Functions such as planning, procurement, manufacturing, and logistics can no longer operate in isolation; they need to work from the same data, the same scenarios, and the same goals. As such, internal de-siloing has become a major priority across the industry.
Meanwhile, leading chemical companies are also shifting their external supplier model from transactional relationships to co-innovation partnerships. That means sharing more data, aligning KPIs, and investing jointly in new capabilities to build shared visibility and trust across the entire chain.
And, while technology undoubtedly offers a leg-up, it’s corporate culture that makes the real difference. By backing open communication, shared risk, and a commitment to mutual success, companies are converting simple coordination into genuine co-creation.
This is exactly how Bluecrux approaches transformation. We believe in working side-by-side with our customers – and with their suppliers, clients, and partners – to build integrated planning capabilities that drive real collaboration. Whether it’s aligning stakeholder incentives, building trust in shared platforms, or facilitating joint execution, our approach is designed to create lasting alignment across the network.
As the global landscape continues to shift and present more challenges for all supply chain operations, it would be easy for the conversations at this sort of event to be focused exclusively on the problems. Thankfully, our experience at LogiChem 2025 was that the interactions were firmly solutions-oriented, reflecting a strong sense of alignment in the industry: we know what needs to change, now the focus must shift to execution.
Far from being future-state ambitions, real-time data, built-in agility, and supply chain co-creation are areas where the leaders will be separated from the laggards in the years to come.
At Bluecrux, we’re proud to help our customers turn insights into action. From digital supply chain design and master data strategy, to planning transformation and technology enablement, we partner with companies to move the needle – decisively and sustainably.
Want to see what this looks like in practice? Check out how we supported AkzoNobel in building a future-ready master data foundation, presented live at LogiChem 2025. Explore the case and watch the video.
because action starts now
