What 25 Years in Chemicals Taught Me About Digital Transformation – With SpecialChem

Digital transformation has gradually reshaped industries worldwide, but in sectors like chemicals and materials, the shift has historically been slower. Christophe Cabarry, founder and CEO of SpecialChem, has been at the forefront of this transformation for over 25 years. Through this platform, he has bridged the gap between traditional chemical companies and the evolving demands of digitally empowered buyers. 

SpecialChem was born in 2000, during the tail end of the internet bubble. Christophe recounts how a speech assignment for his then CEO sparked the idea. “I was asked by our CEO at that time to write his speech for a conference in Yokohama. The title was The Chemical Industry in the 21st Century,” he recalls. He had to talk about the internet and realized, “digital technologies overall would solve this tension” in marketing specialties, which is very complex due to fragmentation, regulations, and the length of value chains.

 

Six months later, SpecialChem was born with the mission of “making the exchange between buyers and sellers fluid in specialties, around marketing and product discovery,” which remains its fundamental pillar today. 

 

Over the years, the core fundamentals have stayed the same, but the behavior of buyers has changed drastically. “The world was fully analog at that time. The way to sell was through sales, people exclusively visiting customers… With time, the industry changed because the buyers have changed,” Christophe explains. Buyers now want 24/7 access to product information, self-serve experiences, and to make the first step towards producers using digital channels. 

 

Catch the full episode on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Podcasts, or click here to watch the full episode on YouTube. 

A key driver of digital adoption in chemicals is the evolution of the buyers themselves. Millennials and Gen Z professionals, now in charge of labs, formulation, and procurement, prefer exploring product information independently before engaging with sales teams. This change has fundamentally altered the sales process, dividing it into distinct phases: digital product discovery, personalized consultations, and complex negotiations that still require human expertise. 

 

Interestingly, Christophe notes that up to 70% of initial sample requests on SpecialChem may not match the buyers’ actual needs, underscoring the continued importance of technical sales expertise. “The future is hybrid. Digital tools enable discovery, but human validation remains essential,” he emphasizes. 

SpecialChem’s platform aggregates and standardizes product information from over 6,000 companies, covering roughly half a million products, and serves more than 10 million visitors annually. Maintaining accurate, updated data is a colossal effort: each year, over 100,000 products are refreshed to ensure reliability. Christophe emphasizes that structured, clean data is critical, particularly when deploying AI tools to support the industry.

SpecialChem has leveraged AI for years to score leads and optimize interactions: “We do that to detect if they are in the target of our clients… The ultimate validation is made by humans.” In laboratories, AI can analyze datasets of formulations and performance outcomes to uncover correlations and rationalize historical decisions. “With AI, you can explain and preserve legacy expertise, especially as experienced formulators retire,” Christophe notes.

Digital transformation isn’t just about technology, it’s about operational change. Chemical companies must adapt their sales and marketing strategies to a hybrid inbound-outbound model. Inside sales teams now play a crucial role, bridging digital engagement and personalized sales interactions. Companies that effectively combine multi-channel visibility, digital lead capture, and human expertise can significantly improve conversion rates and efficiency.

Christophe advocates for applying agile principles in product development: “You can scale up what works and quickly abandon what doesn’t… Agility is essential, even in companies that are not natural adopters.” 

 

After 25 years, SpecialChem continues to drive digital transformation in the chemical industry, not by chasing every technological trend, but by focusing on the intersection of data, AI, and human expertise. Christophe’s vision emphasizes that while technology can accelerate and enhance processes, success in chemicals ultimately relies on combining digital tools with deep industry knowledge and human judgment. 

 

“The chemical industry is complex, but digitalization makes it more efficient, transparent, and connected. The future is hybrid: humans and technology working together.” 

 

If this episode sparked new ideas, offered insights, or gave you something to think about, we invite you to stay connected. Please like, subscribe, and share The Digital Chemical Playbook, where we bring you real-world insights that drive innovation across R&D, product development, and formulation.

 

If you're seeking innovative ingredients or technical support, visit dkshdiscover.com. Our team is ready to help move your projects forward. 

Catch the full episode on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Podcasts, or click here to watch the full episode on YouTube.