An industrial and chemical engineering perspective on the formulation of active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals

A perspective is given on the current status and outlook of chemical product design in industry, focusing on the design of formulated products for active ingredients in pharmaceutical or agrochemical applications. Albeit not an exhaustive review, a reflection is provided based on our experience, aiming to give insight in the industrial needs and barriers. Opportunities in formulation design through the application of chemical engineering principles are highlighted. It is noticed that besides obstacles of a purely scientific nature, there are many adjacent hurdles like organizational and cultural ones. An outlook is provided on the needs in science development, what it takes to using the science and other aspects, though non-scientific, still crucial to a successful application.