History of ICIS
ICIS Chemical Business (ICB) magazine's forerunner Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter is launched, providing pricing information and insight on specialty commodities.
Reed Business Information, the subsequent owner of ICIS, launches European Chemical News. This is the first magazine to cover commodity chemicals, recognising the emergence of merchant markets around an important new industry.
Humphrey Hinshelwood (1929-2001), a petrochemicals reporter based in Paris, spots a gap in the market and establishes ICIS (Independent Chemical Information Services).
ICIS opens its first US office in Dallas, then moving it to Houston in 1986. Texas is the heart of the oil and chemical industries on the US Gulf.
ICIS merges with London Oil Reports to become ICIS-LOR. This gives ICIS access to the upstream oil and oil products markets, crucial feedstocks for the company’s existing chemicals customers.
ICIS expands its APAC coverage, opening its first Asia office in Tokyo, where many key chemicals traders are based.
ICIS-LOR is acquired by Reed Business Information (later Reed Elsevier and now RELX), thereby adding extensive price reporting on chemicals and oil to the Reed Business Information chemicals portfolio.
ICIS hosts its first event, World Styrene, in Singapore. In 1997, ICIS’ flagship World Base Oils conference launches in London, continuing to be one of the portfolio’s most successful events.
First ICIS methodology is produced, a hard-copy booklet describing how price information is gathered, and contract and spot price assessments for major chemicals are established. It brings transparency to the process and firmly establishes ICIS’ presence as a leading provider of trusted pricing intelligence.
ICIS launches a Consulting offer to expand the range of global intelligence services it provides. ICIS also acquires Schnell Publishing in the US, expanding its coverage of US chemicals markets.
ICIS acquires Decyfer Ltd, a specialist UK publisher, boosting its existing portfolio of fertilizer pricing reports.
ICIS begins covering Recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) to meet emerging demand for coverage of recycled polymers.
Acquisition of UK-based Heren Energy, Europe's leading gas, power and carbon market Price Reporting Agency (PRA). With this acquisition, ICIS expands its coverage into the emerging Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) market.
ICIS expands its coverage of sulphur-based products into data analytics and forecasting with the acquisition of Pentasul, a US specialist in sulphur intelligence.
ICIS makes two significant acquisitions: CBI China, the leading provider of pricing and news information and analysis to the petrochemical and energy markets in China; and Parpinelli TECNON, an Italian data and consulting business specialising in petrochemicals, feedstocks, energy, refining and speciality chemicals. With CBI China, ICIS adds Chinese domestic markets to its coverage of Chinese import and export markets. Parpinelli Tecnon enables ICIS to expand its consulting offer.
ICIS becomes a founding member of the trio of Price Reporting Agencies that create the Principles for Price Reporting Agencies with regulatory body, IOSCO. This introduces transparency and standardises audit requirements across energy sector reporting.
The acquisition of German-based Tschach Solutions enables ICIS to become a market leader in the new and fast-growing market for CO2 emissions trading, which has become increasingly relevant today.
ICIS unveils its new purpose: “Shaping the world by connecting markets to optimise global resources” to highlight its commitment to bringing customers, markets and industry closer, so that together, we shape a better, more sustainable world. In the same year ICIS also launches its Sustainability offer.
ICIS acquires Chemical Data LLC (CDI), a leading provider of US petrochemical price benchmarks, market analysis and predictive analytics that complement ICIS’ existing US market coverage.
ICIS marks its 150-year heritage, celebrating its legacy and acknowledging its transformation from Price Reporting Agency (PRA) to data and analytics provider.
ICIS responds to the demand for greater visibility on carbon emissions with the launch of the first-of-its-kind ‘Supplier Carbon Footprint’ tracker, in partnership with Carbon Minds.
ICIS launches Europe's first market-linked renewable hydrogen price assessments to reflect the market value of renewable electricity. This supports participants with the intelligence needed to develop a liberalised clean hydrogen market and optimise energy transition resources.
1871
ICIS Chemical Business (ICB) magazine's forerunner Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter is launched, providing pricing information and insight on specialty commodities.
1962
Reed Business Information, the subsequent owner of ICIS, launches European Chemical News. This is the first magazine to cover commodity chemicals, recognising the emergence of merchant markets around an important new industry.
1980
Humphrey Hinshelwood (1929-2001), a petrochemicals reporter based in Paris, spots a gap in the market and establishes ICIS (Independent Chemical Information Services).
1981
ICIS opens its first US office in Dallas, then moving it to Houston in 1986. Texas is the heart of the oil and chemical industries on the US Gulf.
1984
ICIS merges with London Oil Reports to become ICIS-LOR. This gives ICIS access to the upstream oil and oil products markets, crucial feedstocks for the company’s existing chemicals customers.
1989
ICIS expands its APAC coverage, opening its first Asia office in Tokyo, where many key chemicals traders are based.
1994
ICIS-LOR is acquired by Reed Business Information (later Reed Elsevier and now RELX), thereby adding extensive price reporting on chemicals and oil to the Reed Business Information chemicals portfolio.
1995
ICIS hosts its first event, World Styrene, in Singapore. In 1997, ICIS’ flagship World Base Oils conference launches in London, continuing to be one of the portfolio’s most successful events.
1996
First ICIS methodology is produced, a hard-copy booklet describing how price information is gathered, and contract and spot price assessments for major chemicals are established. It brings transparency to the process and firmly establishes ICIS’ presence as a leading provider of trusted pricing intelligence.
2000
ICIS launches a Consulting offer to expand the range of global intelligence services it provides. ICIS also acquires Schnell Publishing in the US, expanding its coverage of US chemicals markets.
2005
ICIS acquires Decyfer Ltd, a specialist UK publisher, boosting its existing portfolio of fertilizer pricing reports.
2006
ICIS begins covering Recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) to meet emerging demand for coverage of recycled polymers.
2008
Acquisition of UK-based Heren Energy, Europe's leading gas, power and carbon market Price Reporting Agency (PRA). With this acquisition, ICIS expands its coverage into the emerging Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) market.
2010
ICIS expands its coverage of sulphur-based products into data analytics and forecasting with the acquisition of Pentasul, a US specialist in sulphur intelligence.
2011
ICIS makes two significant acquisitions: CBI China, the leading provider of pricing and news information and analysis to the petrochemical and energy markets in China; and Parpinelli TECNON, an Italian data and consulting business specialising in petrochemicals, feedstocks, energy, refining and speciality chemicals. With CBI China, ICIS adds Chinese domestic markets to its coverage of Chinese import and export markets. Parpinelli Tecnon enables ICIS to expand its consulting offer.
2012
ICIS becomes a founding member of the trio of Price Reporting Agencies that create the Principles for Price Reporting Agencies with regulatory body, IOSCO. This introduces transparency and standardises audit requirements across energy sector reporting.
2013
The acquisition of German-based Tschach Solutions enables ICIS to become a market leader in the new and fast-growing market for CO2 emissions trading, which has become increasingly relevant today.
2019
ICIS unveils its new purpose: “Shaping the world by connecting markets to optimise global resources” to highlight its commitment to bringing customers, markets and industry closer, so that together, we shape a better, more sustainable world. In the same year ICIS also launches its Sustainability offer.
2020
ICIS acquires Chemical Data LLC (CDI), a leading provider of US petrochemical price benchmarks, market analysis and predictive analytics that complement ICIS’ existing US market coverage.
2021
ICIS marks its 150-year heritage, celebrating its legacy and acknowledging its transformation from Price Reporting Agency (PRA) to data and analytics provider.
2022
ICIS responds to the demand for greater visibility on carbon emissions with the launch of the first-of-its-kind ‘Supplier Carbon Footprint’ tracker, in partnership with Carbon Minds.
ICIS launches Europe's first market-linked renewable hydrogen price assessments to reflect the market value of renewable electricity. This supports participants with the intelligence needed to develop a liberalised clean hydrogen market and optimise energy transition resources.
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