Stefan Doboczky

Stefan Doboczky, an Austrian citizen, was appointed CEO of Borealis in July 2024. His career started in 1992 with ARCO Chemical in the UK, where he spent seven years before joining Royal DSM, where he held successive senior management and executive board positions in the Netherlands, China and Singapore over a period of 17 years. In 2015, he was appointed CEO of Lenzing AG, a position he held for six years before private equity in the specialty chemicals arena with SK Capital and Heubach in 2022. He has been a member of the OMV Supervisory Board since 2019, from which he stepped down due to his new role at Borealis. Stefan Doboczky holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Vienna University of Technology, Austria and an MBA from IMD Lausanne, Switzerland.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 5 November

15:20

Global strategy ICC Hall A 15:20 - 16:00

The convergence of the energy and chemical sectors

The chemical industry is actively adapting to global changes and driving innovations, serving as a critical enabler in the global energy ecosystem. With the growing demand for diverse chemical products, including plastics, and demand for primary chemicals, this sector is experiencing exponential growth.

Collaboration between the energy and chemicals sectors is anchored in pragmatic decarbonisation pathways that leverage renewable energy sources, enhanced energy efficiency, circularity, technology advances in chemical processing, as well as the emerging potential of green hydrogen as a feedstock. However, challenges related to feedstock availability, policies and regulations, investment, and decarbonisation may hinder progress.

To unlock their full potential, energy and chemical companies must strategically leverage their portfolio strengths through careful planning, focused strategies, and collaborative action. Cross-sector partnerships and ecosystem innovation to facilitate circular solutions will be best positioned for success when supported by international agreements such as the United Nations Plastics Treaty and incentivising initiatives like the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s Green Deal.

Attendee insights:

Understand the potential of the chemical industries, how companies are investing to go further downstream and the enablers that can drive this industry forward.