Speciality chemicals

Working lab in NiTech Solutions LtdSpeciality chemicals include performance products and fine chemicals. These include explosives, essential oils, glues, detergents and pesticides.

Speciality companies in Scotland tend to be either “Scottish-origin” businesses that have been taken over or product-specific manufacturing sites set up by industry majors. They tend to be focused on market niches or on a special product class and many of them are SMEs.

Compared to other chemical businesses, they tend to have the highest degree of market and business development autonomy because of their specialisation.

The speciality chemicals sector is critically important to the future of the Scottish chemicals industry because it:

  • Operates at the high end of the value chain;
  • Has higher margins;
  • Has higher growth potential; and
  • Can provide better long-term security, thanks to significant barriers to entry.

Growth areas in this sector include specialist organics and inorganics, additives, pesticides, paints and dyes.

Research

Find out about cutting-edge research in Scottish chemical sciences.

Highly-skilled workforce

The chemicals sector employs around 14,000 talented individuals, with excellent colleges and universities producing highly-skilled graduates every year.

PDF document Download our report on data about chemicals/chemistry graduates in Scotland (PDF, 135kb) Opens in a new window

Government support and funding

The Scottish Government is highly-supportive of new investment in the chemicals sector, encouraging business and research.

Find out more about government support and funding.

*Image courtesy of NiTech Solutions Ltd.