The chemical industry today is a branch of economy with one of the highest turnover worldwide and it is represented on all continents. Since World War II the structure of chemical companies has changed completely. Many companies which used to be active in different branches have become more specialized in order to optimize their economical performance. On the other hand specialization increases their dependence on market fluctuations. In the future, the European chemical industry will loose global importance. This development can only be prevented by increasing economical growth and more intense innovation efforts. A precondition for this is that the chemical industry will not be restricted by constantly increasing charges, e.g., unnecessary environmental regulations, and increasing energy costs. These restrictions would result in a lack of profitability and thus to limited innovation power and competitiveness.