Materials discovery accelerated as Kemira and CuspAI used generative AI to design novel metal–organic frameworks targeting PFAS removal, rapidly down‑selecting candidates for sub‑ppb performance. AGC opened an Innovation Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad to advance AI anomaly detection and demand forecasting for deployment across global sites, while Aramco and Pasqal launched a regional Quantum Computing as a Service platform with a 200‑qubit neutral‑atom system for optimization use cases. BASF’s refinery catalyst R&D center in Attapulgus and Sinopec’s integration of AI into geophysical exploration reflect applied, production‑oriented digitalization.
Operations automation advanced: ADNOC deployed the Taurob heavy‑duty inspector robot and co‑developed an operator robot under ARGOS to reduce hazardous exposure. Battery materials capacity progressed as Worley supports Orbia’s Louisiana lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) production facility with process automation and modular delivery, while APA named Worley exclusive engineering partner under a portfolio‑based partnering model emphasizing digital delivery and replication. In construction materials, Heidelberg Materials’ minority investment in AmeriTex connects to automated facilities across Texas for precast and pipe manufacturing.
Data-centric services expanded. In Portugal, the EllaLink Caribbean Gateway subsea cable positions Sines and its ZILS industrial zone as a transatlantic node, supporting resilient data flows for industrial operations. Dow launched the Coolant Care Network to centralize fluid sampling, analytics and mitigation for direct‑to‑chip liquid cooling. Inside enterprises, BASF’s CoreShift program and Core Transformation Office target a simplified core operating model, a dedicated ERP and expanded AI. For energy supply transparency, Equinor and LichtBlick track upstream intensity via guarantees of origin on the Attributes SAS platform.
Digital traceability featured in feedstock and fuel programs. BASF and Arva link biorefineries to verified low‑carbon intensity grain for the Clean Fuel Production Credit using xarvio BIOENERGY and Arva’s CropForce platform with audit‑ready CI data. The Port of Rotterdam’s ship‑to‑ship ammonia bunkering simulation under MAGPIE validated safety frameworks and the IAPH Port Readiness Tool for future permitting. At PRC Europe 2026 in Amsterdam, refiners and petrochemical leaders addressed bankable decarbonisation, digitalisation, circular feedstocks and integration strategies across assets.
