3 global trends shaping innovation in the process industries
Humanity is inching closer to a technological inflection point when it comes to sustainable power generation, manufacturing, chemical synthesis and other process industries. Many leaders in the process industries may wonder how their organizations can prepare for these monumental changes.
Fortunately, recent episodes on the Industry Forward Podcasts have shed some light on three potential futures for the process industries and how industry experts may prepare. Here is a summary.
1. It will be nearly impossible for the process industries to completely turn off the crude-oil tap
Even if every fuel-based application of crude were electrified, humans would still be completely dependent on petroleum. Oil has numerous applications outside of its obvious energy-producing use cases. For example, it is also used as primary and auxiliary feedstocks to the manufacturing of almost every mass-produced product.
To suddenly “turn off the tap” would rid the production world of critical lubricants needed to operate the machinery that make our consumer goods. It would also disrupt the production of any product that lists crude products as direct ingredients like numerous lifesaving pharmaceuticals and fertilizers. Thus, even if all the green energy opportunities on the planet were utilized, without oil humans cannot maintain healthcare systems – let alone feed billions of people.
So how do organizations adapt? How does humanity become more sustainable if we are locked into molecules sourced from crude? Find new sources, of course.
2. Synthetic alternatives will displace petro-based fuels and feeds in the process industries
So a reliance on products traditionally sourced from crude does not doom humanity’s ability to go green. Instead, a sustainable human society will source these products from other, greener sources.
If a natural sustainable alternative is impossible, or impractical, then sustainable molecules can also be produced using environmentally friendly physical and chemical processes fueled by green energy. Imagine producing ethane, propane, plastic monomers (like propylene), fuels and other sustainable molecules needed to run the economy synthetically without crude.
One such theoretical process would involve directly pulling CO2 from the atmosphere. This may sound far-fetched, but it’s what plants and trees have been doing via photosynthesis for billions of years.
The beautiful part of this theoretical process is that if the carbon ends up in plastics, or similar long-lasting products, then it is taken out of the carbon cycle – just like planting a forest! As a result, these processes could become carbon-neutral, or even carbon-negative; making them a method to help combat climate change.
For these processes to truly become sustainable, they will need to rely on green energy. So, focusing, investing, supporting and transitioning to sustainable fuels and energy sources is how leaders in the process industries prepare for this green, crude-free future of the crude industry.
3. New green energy technologies that power the process industries will be born digital
Some regions and organizations have already made significant steps towards shifting to greener energy sources. In 2021, Ontario, Canada produced a total of 148.3 TWh of electricity using 55% nuclear, 24% hydroelectric, 8% wind, 5% solar and less than 1% biomass. Only 8% of the province’s energy was produced using natural gas while less than 0.1% came from other fossil fuels like coal or petroleum.[1]
Ontario has a population of more than 16 million people. For context, that is comparable to the U.S. states of New York and Pennsylvania and greater than the populations of many sovereign nations. [2], [3], [4] Ontario’s ability to supply a population at this scale using a largely low-carbon electricity portfolio demonstrates that decarbonized energy systems can move beyond pilot projects and operate at meaningful scale.
The challenge now becomes designing, operating and scaling increasingly complex energy mixes and systems. This complexity is one reason digitalization has become essential.
Thiago Ribeiro, Global Head of Energy, Chemicals and Infrastructure at Siemens Digital Industry Software, explained another reason green energy systems require digital transformations. He said, “those companies, specifically renewables and nuclear, don’t have the deep pockets that oil and gas have. So, they don’t have the luxury of failing multiple times. So, they want to make sure that by the time they receive the license and approval to deploy those reactors, it’s going to work the first time.”
Consider modular and nuclear fusion reactors. These technologies are still in the development stages. So, they typically use digital systems like digital twins and systems simulations to prove their compliance and reliability to both investors and regulatory bodies. This means they must embrace digitalization, simulations, artificial intelligence (AI) and comprehensive digital twins from the earliest stages of development.
To prepare for this transition, others in the process industries should follow suit with respect to digitalization. Using digital twins, these organizations can lock in and optimize their workflows to know exactly how much green energy or sustainable molecules they will need. These continuous improvements can even go beyond the factory floor and encompass entire lifecycles, bringing humanity ever closer to a carbon-negative future.
Not sure about these predictions? See what two experts in the process industries predicted in this episode of the Industry Forward Podcast.
[1] Canada Energy Regulator (CER), Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles: Ontario. Available: https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/province-territory-energy-profiles/ontario.html. Accessed: 14-Sep-2026.
[2] Government of Ontario, “Ontario Demographic Quarterly: Highlights of First Quarter,” Ontario.ca, accessed October 23, 2026, https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-demographic-quarterly-highlights-first-quarter.
[3] Encyclopaedia Britannica, “U.S. States Ranked by Population: Which Is Largest?” Britannica, accessed October 23, 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/largest-U-S-state-by-population.
[4] World Population Review, “Total Population by Country 2026,” World Population Review, accessed October 23, 2026, https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries.
