Accelerating process technology development is one of the most pressing priorities in chemical R&D today — yet for most organizations, the constraint is not budget or headcount. It is how the work is designed. John P (Jack) Dever, CTO of AVN Corporation, brings to CIEX North America 2026 over two decades of experience at the intersection of process technology, advanced software, and applied sustainability — operating where the gap between lab innovation and commercial scale gets closed.
In this interview, he shares how AVN is approaching process development acceleration, where AI is genuinely moving metrics in a contract R&D environment, and what current industry headwinds are quietly reshaping who gets to compete and on what terms.
CIEX: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your session and what would you like delegates to remember?
John P (Jack): Process technology development can be accelerated beyond what is generally practiced today. The acceleration comes from a combination of advanced work processes with equipment that is well-defined technically and can be readily configured for the process to be studied. However, it is necessary for both to be implemented to achieve accelerated process development.
CIEX: What motivates you to join CIEX this year – and where are you most looking to learn from peers at this event?
John P (Jack): I first attended CIEX last year and found it to be a great event that inspired new
John P (Jack) Dever, CTO, AVN Corporation
perspectives and ideas, as well as creating new connections with others in the industry. This year, I expect to grow those connections further and to share my experiences more with others.
CIEX: How has your approach to balancing volume growth and value creation evolved in recent years – and what’s one decision you’ve made here that would’ve been unthinkable three years ago?
John P (Jack): AVN is a contract research and development company and therefore, our focus is on value creation for our customers. Thinking about now versus three years ago, the biggest difference in perspective is driven by the extended trough in the chemical industry. That has slowed much of our business as large companies look to conserve cash and reduce external spending. This is driving more opportunities for companies like us to reach out to small and mid-size producers and expand our offerings, more so as a small-volume manufacturer where our scale can match market needs.
CIEX: Where is AI-enabled innovation already moving a hard business metric, and where is it still not delivering?
John P (Jack): AVN is engaged with AI technology quite heavily through our Advanced Software Technologies division. Data-rich applications present many opportunities for AI innovation, and we see that in our AST business. On the chemicals side of our business, the confidential nature of the work we perform for a diverse group of customers makes data sharing — and therefore AI opportunities — harder to implement.
CIEX: How are you approaching sustainability priorities alongside broader economic and commercial considerations?
John P (Jack): We are very active in sustainability with our customers and incorporate sustainability principles into the technology development we deliver. We have tools that help us gauge the extent of sustainability practices deployed for customers, which helps us understand trade-offs among sustainability metrics to drive toward an optimized technology that maximizes sustainable goals while delivering the economic outcomes that companies need.
CIEX: Looking ahead, what factors and capabilities will define competitive advantage in the chemical industry over the next few years?
John P (Jack): Raw material advantage has always driven our industry, at least from the commodity side, and I don’t see that changing. However, current events are likely to create a premium for market access that could become a stronger barrier than our industry has faced in a long time. We could see national barriers created to support local production and supply of materials, which would lead to inefficient distribution of resources and create challenges for export opportunities.
Is Your Process Technology Development Keeping Pace With Market Demand?
At CIEX North America 2026, Jack Dever takes the stage to address one of the most pressing operational challenges in specialty chemicals today — in the session “Accelerating Process Technology Development to Re-Shore and Scale Specialty Chemical Manufacturing”.
Leaders from 3M, Dow, Eastman Chemical, Honeywell, Huntsman, Albemarle, Momentive, Cabot, and Wanhua Chemical Group will be in the room. The agenda is built around what’s actually hard: scaling AI beyond the pilot, making sustainability pay, and positioning for a market where access matters as much as feedstock.
September 9–10, 2026 | Indianapolis
