On monday, May 14th, attendees were greeted with music and fanfare at the opening ceremonies of AchemAsia 2007, the 7th International Exhibition-Congress on Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. The participation of 500 exhibitors, a record number and a 22% increase over the last show, was as extra cause for celebration. Before Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kreysa, president of Dechema Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, declared the exhibition open, visitors were given a preview of what to expect from this year’s event.
Among other things, Cao Xianghong, President of Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, stressed the need for attendees to consider innovating for a better future. “Greenhouse gas reduction and climate change protection are becoming important issues for all humans. The combination of innovation in chemical engineering and biotechnology is necessary to address these challenges. More dialogue and communication are needed in these areas, and AchemAsia provides a platform for these discussions.”
In addition to such related focus on sustainability, the environment, resources and energy, Dr. Alfred Oberholz, Chairman of Dechema and Deputy Chairman of the managing board of Degussa GmbH, suggests two other areas for collaboration at AchemAsia:
competition for qualified personnel and intellectual property rights, which are key factors in international cooperation.
Piracy losses over the past few years have risen substantially despite China’s many, often very good laws, which often loose steam in implementation, Oberholz explains. “Whereas, in the past, it was almost solely foreign companies that bore the brunt of property-right infringement,” he says, “today Chinese companies are affected too.”
Gong Qiyi, Vice President and General Secretary of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC) is optimistic that many valuable connections will be made this week. “AchemAsia is getting better and better,” he says, and “The Chinese state leaders have made high appreciation for its past and expressed great expectation for its future.” He believes that AchemAsia 2007 will strengthen the trade, communication and cooperation that is needed to expedite the structural reform and technology upgrade of the petroleum and chemical industries in China as well as promote the progress of related industries and economic and social development. At the same time, Gong sees the event’s impact reaching beyond the Chinese boarders given that it also is one of the largest exhibition and conferences for chemical technology, biotechnology and equipment with the richest content and highest technology level in the Asia Pacfic region. |
