Faced with high R&D costs, complex regulatory requirements, and fragmented market demands, chemical enterprises are increasingly embracing win-win cooperation in 2025—spanning upstream raw materials, midstream production, and downstream application development.
In the new energy space, a leading Chinese lithium salt producer has partnered with CATL to co-establish a joint R&D lab: the lab is developing high-purity lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆) tailored for CATL’s 4680 battery cells, with the chemical firm adjusting its production process to meet the battery maker’s strict impurity thresholds (≤1ppm). This collaboration cuts the R&D cycle for the new material by 18 months and ensures the chemical firm a stable 3-year supply contract.
In the textile industry, a European specialty chemical giant has joined hands with a global apparel brand to launch eco-friendly dyeing auxiliaries: the chemical firm developed a water-saving dye dispersant, while the apparel brand provided on-site production data to optimize the auxiliary’s performance. The result is a 40% reduction in water usage during dyeing, with the auxiliary now used in 60% of the brand’s factories.
Cross-border partnerships are also on the rise: a Japanese fine chemical firm has teamed up with an Indian agrochemical company to localize production of bio-based pesticide intermediates in India—leveraging the Japanese firm’s technology and the Indian partner’s regional market access, the joint venture captured 15% of India’s bio-pesticide intermediate market within a year, while cutting production costs by 22%.