Under the impact of the epidemic, digital spatial management is becoming the key to breaking through the situation in the chemical and advanced materials industries. Global industry enterprises are facing multiple challenges: intensified competition, rising costs, and supply chain restructuring. On the basis of traditional business pressures, the combination of energy price fluctuations and inflationary pressures creates a complex challenge, forcing enterprises to accelerate the digital transformation of the entire value chain.
Industry transformation has extended from product process innovation to physical space reconstruction. More and more companies are adopting intelligent building technology to improve energy efficiency while optimizing employee experience. According to a survey by Ernst&Young, 91% of surveyed companies confirmed that mixed working significantly reduces office space utilization. However, nearly 95% of enterprises have not yet made substantial changes to their workplaces, and digital investment mainly focuses on two dimensions: improving efficiency (88%) and reducing operating costs (88%).
Space reconstruction brings unexpected opportunities. Some companies have converted 30% of their administrative space into production use, achieving a potential capacity expansion of 20-30%. Ernst&Young expert Frank Jenner pointed out that "this spatial transformation strategy is rewriting the rules of the industry game." The flexible layout supported by digital technology enables enterprises to dynamically balance production and management space allocation.
The talent competition is accelerating the transformation of spatial intelligence. Intelligent lighting, seamless passage and other digital facilities have become key chips in attracting Generation Z talents. Francisco Cuba, an expert from Anna, warns that "when the penetration rate of home smart devices far exceeds that of office environments, companies will face a talent attraction gap." The survey shows that Generation Z employees have a high level of concern for environmental sustainability, with a focus on 94%, forcing companies to deeply integrate ESG indicators into spatial management.
Digital transformation requires grasping three core strategies:
1. Deep coupling between spatial strategy and corporate strategy
Incorporate real estate management into strategic decision-making and establish a flexible supply chain system. For example, during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, some enterprises realized the substitution of cobalt and nickel raw materials through capacity restructuring in the Asia Pacific region, which requires accurate capacity layout and energy supporting capacity.
2. Demand driven digital investment
Ernst&Young expert Doug Gottschalk emphasized that "every digital investment must have clear ROI measurement criteria. German consultant Florian Schwa added: "It is necessary to coordinate the digital collaboration of production laboratories, research and development centers, and energy systems to build a compliant technical interface system.“
3. Identification of opportunities across the entire value chain
91% of enterprises show strong interest in intelligent building solutions, as digitization not only improves operational efficiency but also provides tax incentives through energy consumption monitoring. Deep mining of spatial usage data can identify over 20% of implicit cost optimization spaces.
The industry transformation is facing a critical window period. Enterprises that can effectively integrate physical space, digital technology, and human capital will establish significant competitive advantages in the post pandemic era. The digital transformation of space is not only a cost issue, but also a strategic choice related to the sustainable development capability of enterprises.
