Segmentation of potential SME market for ECHA Cloud Services for REACH registration REF: 945
RPA has been commissioned by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to undertake a study to obtain detailed market segmentation information on potential SME users of the ECHA Cloud Services, concentrating on, but not limited to, REACH registration.
The information gathered is expected to provide insight into the overall population of potential users that would be interested in Cloud Services, as well as segmentation of the population. This follows on from needs identified in the 2013 REACH review and the new tools that are being developed in response. The last registration deadline (31 May 2018) concerns companies that manufacture or import substances in quantities between 1-100 tonnes a year and it is expected to be quite different from the 2010 and 2013 deadlines: ECHA is expecting to receive around 60,000 registration dossiers for up to 25,000 unique substances, three times as many registration dossiers and substances with many more SMEs and importers likely to be involved.
As well as new tools such as IUCLID 6 which will form the basis of the ECHA Cloud Services, one of the key challenges identified with registration 2018 is the need to inform new registrants of the registration process. This includes the development of dedicated support websites and the need to develop further support where gaps are identified.
The outcomes of this study include providing ECHA with marketing information that they can use in planning promotional activities for the Cloud Services. The proposals formulated in the study will also provide ECHA with information on how to promote the Cloud Services to different segments. The study will also, more generally, provide ECHA with a better understanding of the chemical industry and the related market.
This study will help identify what the gaps in knowledge and understanding of registration needs are, who the gaps affect, and how they might best be filled. In addition, the study offers the opportunity to act in itself as a method for disseminating information about the registration process with the specific focus on identifying how and why SMEs can be divided into different target groups. This will facilitate the information campaigns proposed by ECHA with focus on the specific needs of each target group (segment) in terms of their needs and use of IUCLID and the Cloud Services.