AchemAsia Braves Rough Economic Environment

02.06.2016

The signs pointed to storms ahead, but AchemAsia travelled the rough economic seas safely: When the halls closed on Thursday, exhibitors and organizers left with a smile. 11,834 visitors found their way to China’s most international exhibition for the process industries, only slightly less than in 2013 when 12,470 were counted. This is especially remarkable because in the run-up to the event the number of exhibitors had dropped significantly, with especially Western firms hesitant about their current China engagement.

“The visitor response shows that in economic challenging times as these, to come forward, to present your products and technologies and to keep in touch with suppliers and customers is crucial”, said Dr.-Ing. Thomas Scheuring, CEO of DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH. “The Chinese industry is in a state of transformation. With new goals being set – not least by the lately published new Five-Year-Plan – experts are on the lookout for new technologies and innovative ideas.” He said that he felt especially happy that the loyal exhibitors had been rewarded by not only a large number of visitors, but many had also complimented on the visitors’ quality.

Overall, 295 exhibitors from 17 countries took part in AchemAsia. The largest share came from China with 194 exhibitors, including a number of international subsidiaries. The second largest delegation came from Germany with 49 companies, followed by France with 17.

“AchemAsia was a very good show and brought a range of interesting visitors to the exhibitors. Distributors and especially a significant number of customers were on site, a proof that the event is well-known in the chemical community. Despite the overall economic slowdown in China, this sector plays an important role for innovation and stays a major factor in the Asian economy”, says Philippe Marrec, Director of Industries Division at the Business France China Beijing Office.

Exhibits on display included plant equipment, filter technologies, mechanical and thermal engineering devices, laboratory equipment, analytical devices as well as biochemical equipment and plant engineering services.

The congress that consisted of several satellite symposia also received much attention. Especially the sessions on Separation Technology and on New Findings in Process Technology, where exhibitors presented their latest innovations, drew large crowds, leaving hardly a seat unoccupied. Other session such as the “Internet+” Intelligence Construction Symposium, the Forum on Detection and Repair of Volatile Organic Compounds, on Water Treatment and on Bio-Corrosion , on Current Challenges of the Petroleum Industries and on Single-Use-Technologies also met with high interest. In addition, some exhibitors used the opportunity to offer workshops and symposia for their customers and interested visitors.

“The range of topics that was covered in the congress is impressive”, Prof. Dr. Kurt Wagemann, Executive Director of DECHEMA, said. “Having different partners organize the sessions, choosing themes for their topicality and up-to-dateness, ensures that the congress program overall offers highlights for all the different stakeholders.”

Jointly organized by DECHEMA and the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC), AchemAsia 2016 has been the 10th event in a successful row dating back to 1989. Both partners emphasized the very good cooperation that has strongly intensified over the years, turning AchemAsia into a truly international platform strongly rooted in China. “We are very glad to have reliable partners in China, and we are looking forward to expanding the cooperation beyond the three-year cycle of AchemAsia”, Thomas Scheuring said.

AchemAsia is the international platform for chemical engineering and process engineering in China. With c. 400 exhibitors from some 20 countries this is the forum for the exchange of ideas and know-how for professionals from process engineering, apparatus and plant engineering, environmental technology, the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries and related sectors. AchemAsia takes place every three years in Beijing, PR China. It is organized by DECHEMA and CIESC (Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China) in cooperation with numerous Chinese and international partners. The next AchemAsia is scheduled for May 2019 in Beijing.

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