Future prospects of the chemical engineering design industry

There are no bad markets; only poor technology exists. As long as design firms master good technology, they won’t have to worry about a lack of market opportunities or poor profits.

　　Is there an overcapacity in the production of chemical products? Is the future outlook for the chemical engineering design industry not optimistic? I dare not draw hasty conclusions, but in recent years, the design of some projects has placed too much emphasis on traditional concepts, as well as on the use of traditional architectural symbols and techniques ； On the other hand, the design of some other projects places too much emphasis on innovative technologies, focusing solely on experimental technologies and devices while ignoring important factors such as energy conservation, environmental protection, and cost-effectiveness. There is a prevalence of a tendency to pursue something large and foreign-looking, to seek novelty at all costs, and to emphasize uniqueness; as a result, buildings that consume excessive resources and energy, have unreasonable functions, and are highly incompatible with the surrounding landscape keep appearing. All of this reflects an inaccurate understanding of the current stage of chemical engineering design in our country, as well as a lack of a profound grasp of the scientific outlook on development. On the other hand, in recent years, due to the continuous expansion of construction scales, shorter design cycles, and increasing design demands, many designers are overwhelmed by the task of producing drawings; their ability to create original designs is weak, their core research and development capabilities in industrial design are insufficient, process design is not advanced enough, and the level of detail in their work is inadequate. In particular, there is a significant gap compared to international standards in terms of solution design, technology integration, and technological innovation ； There is a shortage of top-tier design talent, resulting in weak competitiveness in the high-end design market for new environmental protection and energy-saving projects.

The future of chemical engineering design lies in innovation; without it, the prospects for this industry are not optimistic at all. The domestic chemical industry lacks innovation capabilities and motivation; it is necessary to improve the conditions for those working in chemical design and provide them with the resources needed for innovation, if such a sector is to have a bright future.

The domestic design industry focuses solely on quantity while neglecting quality! Ignoring the technical foundation, the prospects don’t look very good!

Looking back at the views from ten years ago, they seemed somewhat extreme when evaluated against the circumstances of that time. In recent years, the petrochemical, refining, and coal chemical industries have seen vigorous development; policies have become increasingly regulated and stringent. The development of design institutes has also shown a polarization – those with technology, capabilities, and support have seen their business scope expand, while those without such advantages can only scrape by by dealing with the leftovers in this industry. Therefore, design institutes must be willing to change and strive to adapt to the situation and seize market opportunities.

I think your insights were very accurate back then! That was the situation back then; it was only thanks to the efforts of some persistent individuals and the **team that a stable development trajectory could be maintained. The regular updates of many standards and specifications are what have put limits on some perfunctory designs