Industrial Strategies in Materials : European Situation

The situation of European industry in the field of materials can be very roughly summarized as follows : Europe occupies a position which is entirely competitive with the rest of the world in the conception, production and application of structural materials. This favourable position is based to a large extent on the might of the European chemical industry (notably on the three German groups Bayer, Hoechst and BASF and the other major European firms - see Table V.2.A - but also on an overall European “chemical culture” of high quality), which confirms its considerable strategic role for Europe.