14 | Wednesday, December 30, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY BUSINESS Chemical firms underline innovation for greener future By WANG YING in Shanghai companies, not only in product
[email protected] innovation but in service innova- tion and communication innova- Chemical companies in China tion,” said Yoke Loon Lim, director believe they have been able to of AICM and president of Dow’s ride out the economic impact of China unit. COVID-19 so far, and are begin- The unprecedented challenges ning to explore fresh growth of the pandemic period have sensi- opportunities the pandemic sit- tized both industry insiders and uation has created, industry the general public to the critical experts said. role of chemicals in everyday life. Among their new focus areas are Chemicals are everywhere, sup- intelligent manufacture of chemi- porting people’s health and well- cals, industry digitalization, ness in a variety of ways and research and development, low forms. carbon emission technologies, and Hence, “we (industry people) new materials that can replace are always inspired to unceasingly plastics, they said. explore more innovations”, Lim During the initial phase of the said. pandemic, chemical firms strug- “Since the outbreak of COVID- gled to resume production and 19, we quickly decided to signifi- Pedestrians pass milk tea stores in Pingnan county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY maintain their supply chain activi- cantly reduce the number of on- ties. site employees and shift local Thanks to quick and effective control to remote control at our containment of the spread of the Shanghai center,” said Li Zhen- novel coronavirus, and availability min, head of multinational indus- of adequate personal protective trial gases and engineering Milk tea brings sweet earnings equipment, the industry recovered company Linde in China and an sooner than expected.