The study argues that many of the industry's strengths and vulnerabilities are rooted in specific regional ecosystems, where chemical clusters, energy and transport infrastructure, research institutions and skilled labour tend to be geographically concentrated, giving local and regional authorities a role in facilitating cooperation and implementing strategies that reflect the particular capabilities of their territory rather than applying a one-size-fits-all national or EU-level approach.

It draws on six regional case studies, including ChemCologne in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Lyon Vallée de la Chimie in the Métropole de Lyon, examining how these established clusters have organised cooperation between industry, local government and research institutions, and outlines three exploratory future pathways intended to support strategic reflection at EU, national and regional levels rather than prescribing a single model to be replicated everywhere.

The study accompanies a formal opinion adopted by the Committee of the Regions on 5 March 2026 on the European Chemicals Industry Action Plan, which calls for meaningful cross-regional involvement in the newly established Critical Chemicals Alliance, faster completion of the Energy Union to address the persistent energy cost gap facing European producers, and closer alignment of the Emissions Trading System and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism with the industry's competitiveness needs, positioning regional and local authorities as active partners in EU-level chemicals policy rather than passive implementers of decisions made elsewhere.

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