dear reader,
Welcome to our first issue in the new year!as we are turning the page of the first decade of the 21st century it is time to reflect on the state of the fine chemical industry andtry to anticipate where the future might take us.What a difference ten years can make!the free movement of capital, goods, services and information has flattened the world while greatly exacerbating price competitionin the markets.access to technology, plant and equipment is no longer a barrier to new market entrants. access to capital and qualifiedhuman resources, are quickly turning into mere competitive qualifiers.executives in Western companies, find themselves ina situation where neither technical innovation norcapital expenditure protects their companies againstprice erosion and loss of market share. executivesfrom emerging countries struggle to improve theirprofitability record; although their product is now attechnical parity they still have to sell it at the lowerprice.the author of this editorial believes that this trendwill continue for as long as free market thinking willdominate the global political discourse. it is time toacknowledge that the fine chemical industry willincre ...