The three key industry challenges
1. Meeting stricter regulations
Manufacturers have been subject to a complex web of environmental regulations and legislation for several decades now. In Europe, for instance, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)'s 2007 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations restrict the use of substances of very high concern (SVHCs).
At the same time, global regulations, sparked in part by the Paris Agreement, stipulate that companies must dramatically reduce the size of their carbon footprints. As such, they are seeking ways to save energy and increase their use of renewable forms of energy, such as solar and wind power.
Companies are now taking innovative technology-based approaches compliance. For example, some are using blockchain to track material sources, and purpose-built sensors to trace the amounts of restricted substances used in their products. Others are adopting AI-led and parametric design approaches to create compliant products from the first stages of development.