ADIPEC 2026: Charlie Tan to address feedstock competition and industrial investment

Image Caption: Global Impact Coalition CEO will join industry leaders in Abu Dhabi to examine how supply availability, production economics and feedstock flexibility are shaping chemicals markets

Abu Dhabi: Charlie Tan, CEO Global Impact Coalition (GIC), is scheduled to join an industry discussion on feedstock competition and industrial strategy at ADIPEC 2026, as petrochemical producers contend with changing supply conditions, cost pressures and intensifying competition across major manufacturing regions.

The session, titled “Competing for feedstock advantage in a tighter supply environment,” is scheduled for November 4 at the Momentum Theatre, Hall 2, at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. Tan will participate alongside Mashal Saoud Al Kindi, chief executive officer of TA’ZIZ, and Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, chief executive of Nigeria’s Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Eithne Treanor, founder and CEO of E Treanor Media, will moderate the discussion.

The session comes as access to competitive feedstocks remains a significant consideration for companies assessing where to manufacture chemicals, expand production capacity and allocate capital. Feedstock availability, pricing and flexibility can influence operating costs, investment decisions and the relative competitiveness of industrial facilities.

According to the session description published by ADIPEC, producers are responding to changing market conditions through investments in multi-feedstock flexibility and by reassessing the locations and configurations best suited to their supply requirements. The discussion will examine how these decisions affect downstream competitiveness and the economics of future industrial capacity.

Tan leads GIC, an independent, CEO-led platform incubated at the World Economic Forum that brings chemical and industrial companies together to develop projects addressing challenges that individual businesses may struggle to resolve independently. Its work includes industrial circularity, sustainable materials and the development of commercially viable pathways for reducing emissions across industrial value chains.

The coalition's approach focuses on coordinating companies around specific commercial and technical barriers. This includes examining whether technologies can be integrated into existing infrastructure, whether customers will commit to purchasing new products and how investment risks can be allocated among participating businesses.

In previous commentary on industrial transition, Tan has argued that successful pilot projects do not automatically become commercially viable operations. Long-term purchasing commitments, infrastructure availability and financing structures can determine whether a technically proven process attracts the investment required for deployment at industrial scale.

“Feedstock strategy is not simply a procurement decision. It influences where industrial capacity can compete, how supply risks are managed and whether investment decisions remain viable as market conditions change. Companies need to consider these factors together rather than treating supply, infrastructure and commercial economics as separate questions,” Tan said in a proposed statement for approval ahead of publication.

The discussion will also take place against the backdrop of industrial investment in the UAE. In May 2026, TA’ZIZ announced long-term agreements valued at $28.5 billion across its chemicals portfolio, covering feedstock, sales and offtake arrangements for products including methanol, polyvinyl chloride and other industrial chemicals. The agreements included commitments ranging from five to 25 years, according to the company’s announcement.

Such arrangements illustrate how supply agreements and demand commitments can form part of the commercial structure supporting industrial development. They also highlight the importance of coordinating raw material access with customer requirements and production planning.

ADIPEC 2026 will run from November 2 to 5 at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, bringing together energy producers, industrial companies, investors, policymakers and technology providers. Its programme covers energy security, infrastructure, investment, downstream operations and industrial value chains.

The feedstock session is expected to examine how producers can maintain competitiveness as resource availability, trade conditions and production economics evolve. For industrial companies considering new capacity or changes to existing operations, the central questions include the reliability of supply, the ability to adjust production inputs and the commercial implications of competing in different regions.

The discussion places feedstock strategy within a broader assessment of industrial competitiveness, connecting resource access with investment decisions and the long-term performance of chemicals manufacturing operations.