The digital transformation of the chemical distribution industry in Europe is accelerating, with new e-commerce platforms and advanced tracking solutions enhancing supply chain visibility and operational efficiency. While early attempts at chemical e-commerce failed, a second wave of digital platforms is emerging . Companies like Lanxess's CheMondis and Evonik's OneTwoChem are creating online marketplaces intended for use by multiple buyers and sellers, initially focusing on basic chemicals and intermediates before tackling more complex specialty chemicals.

These platforms aim to reduce the time-consuming process of contacting individual companies through conventional channels and help reduce uncertainty associated with short-term fluctuations in demand . However, the industry acknowledges that specialties are tricky due to the need to make technical information available and ensure regulatory compliance . Other platforms, like Pinpools and Knowde, are taking on specialty markets, facilitating a growing number of sellers and buyers in sectors like coatings, personal care, and home care.

Beyond front-end e-commerce, digital tools are revolutionizing back-end logistics. Elemica, a survivor from the first wave of chemical e-commerce, provides a cloud-based networking hub for linking companies’ enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, routing complex data, tracking orders and payments, and providing online visibility of supply-chain logistics . This "back-end infrastructure" manages up to 1 million transactions a day, with about USD 600 billion of commerce between chemical companies coursing through its network annually.
Bulk Transport: Europe Bulk Chemical Transport Report