The McKinsey Quarterly

2000

• November 2000 

  The chemistry of knowledge

  The usefulness of asset-based strategies is waning. A new era based on the exploitation of knowledge is starting to dawn.

• May 2000 

  Using plants as plants

  Biotechnology will transform the production of chemicals. Here’s why.

1999

• May 1999 

  A new formula for European chemicals

  In a globalizing market undercut by the Asian economic crisis, consolidation is the only answer.

• May 1999 

  An acid bath for Asian chemicals

  The region’s producers are fragmented, inefficient, and mostly broke. What can they do to make themselves whole?

1998

• February 1998 

  Wooing investors to prevent cyclicality

  Companies without structural advantages can reap rewards by managing the inevitable cycle. But to do so, they must get their financing at the right time and understand the dynamics of demand for their products.

1995

• August 1995 

  The climate changes for European petrochemicals

  In the third quarter of 1994, demand soared as the European petrochemical industry emerged from recession. But there are signs that when the next downturn comes, reduced demand and structural overcapacity means that a further upturn may not follow.