Episode Notes — Molecules to Market, Episode 0: The Foundation

MOLECULES TO MARKET - Building Resilient Value Chains for a Fast‑Moving World

A programme by Portfolio Planning PLUS (https://www.portfolio‑pplus.com)

---

Episode Description

Welcome to Molecules to Market. In this founding episode, your hosts Uwe and Nicolas lay out the purpose of the show and the urgent need for a different kind of conversation in the energy and chemicals industry.

They discuss why the world is changing – from geopolitical realignment to supply chain disruption – and why old ways of planning fail when projects span decades. Instead of soundbites, they argue for a systems‑thinking approach that connects molecules (the actual chemistry and engineering) to markets (the financial and strategic outcomes). They introduce the ppPLUS platform as the workbench that grounds these conversations in real data, but make clear the podcast is about collaboration, not software promotion.

Listeners get a preview of the expert voices to come – technology specialists, resource analysts, project managers, economists, and geopolitical strategists – all focused on building resilient value chains.

---

Key Topics Covered

- Why the industry needs a different conversation – beyond headlines

- The shift from a unipolar to a multipolar world and its impact on supply chains

- The gap between molecular‑level fundamentals and market value creation

- Fragmentation and the “dominance mindset” vs. collaboration and collective intelligence

- Systems thinking: choosing technology and supply chain together

- Feedstock flexibility as a financial hedge

- Technology independence and access to catalysts

- Resilience vs. efficiency – why “molecules closer to home” matter

- Preview of upcoming guests and themes

---

Links & Resources

- ppPLUS Platform: https://www.portfolio‑pplus.com

- Subscribe: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube and many more.

- Suggest a guest or topic: media@portfolio-pplus.com

- Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/portfolio‑planning‑plus/

---

Quotable Moments

> “A headline is useless when you’re responsible for a capital project worth billions — something designed to last thirty, forty years.” – Uwe

> “Most managers pick a technology first, and then go looking for a supply chain to feed it. A systems‑thinker does both at the same time.” – Nicolas

> “When we break down corporate barriers and compound our expertise, we build a collective intelligence that no single company can match on its own.” – Nicolas