AchemAsia opening press conference focuses on achieving sustainable chemical production through innovation, technology and collaboration

The opening press conference for AchemAsia 2019 is featuring well-known speakers representing industry, academia and independent research. In alignment with the press conference theme of “Innovation for Sustainable Chemical Production,” they will share their thoughts on new approaches to implementing sustainable chemical production at a national level and through global collaboration. Their short presentations will be followed by a question and answer period and a luncheon for media representatives and speakers.

Following are the presenters and their topics:

• Professor Hua Wei, Executive Vice-President and General Secretary, Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC), will speak on “Chemical Engineering - Technical Foundation of Modern Civilization.” She will describe the importance of chemical engineering technologies in diverse areas ranging from daily life to human health and global sustainability. The bright future of chemical engineering includes innovations such as smart factories and process intensification.
• Dr. Cheng Xu, Procurement and Logistics Director at LANXESS and current president of the Together for Sustainability (TfS) Initiative, Lanxess Chemical Co. China, will  present “Together for Sustainability: The Chemical Industry Initiative for Sustainable Supply Chains.” This global supplier engagement program assesses, audits and improves sustainability practices using proven principles. Doctor Xu will stress the importance of using a uniform process to evaluate supply chains across the industry.
• Dr. Alexis Bazzanella, Co-Director ISC3 Innovation Hub, ISC3 – International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre, will present on “Building a Sustainable Chemistry Ecosystem for Innovators in Asia.” He will describe how the ISC3 Innovation Hub initiates and supports sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship in the chemical industry. In particular, he will emphasize the need for innovations in the field of sustainable building and living.
• Dr. Björn Mathes, Member of the Executive Board, DECHEMA Exhibitions, will talk on “AchemAsia: Bringing Together Ideas and Technology for Sustainable Production.” He will highlight the importance of innovation in solving the worldwide sustainability challenge and explain how AchemAsia provides a productive forum for international collaboration on this complex issue.

As all these experts will attest, the vital importance of sustainable production will only intensify as China’s process industry experiences continued rapid and dramatic change due to modernization and economic expansion.

Spotlight on Sustainability

Sustainability is the anchor theme of AchemAsia 2019. It serves as the foundation for the press conference’s key topics, which are tailored to China’s 13th Five-Year Plan and current industry trends.

Over the past years, China has made tremendous efforts towards increasing the sustainability of its chemical production. They include improvements in energy and resource efficiency through asset modernization and process optimization. In particular, digitalization and automation are supporting the drive to “produce more with less” – less energy, fewer raw materials and less pollution. This approach has generated the concept of “smart factories” -- highly digitized and connected production facilities that rely on smart manufacturing.

Sustainability, however, is also a global topic: The need to mitigate climate change and ensure the resource base of the future does not end at country borders. Therefore, AchemAsia also spotlights international collaboration, such as the Together for Sustainability initiative that will be described by Dr. Xu. Another example is the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Center (ISC3) covered by Dr. Alexis Bazzanella, which is an independent institution focused on the exchange of best practices and support of sustainability initiatives all over the world.

AchemAsia is organized around focal topics reflecting the technological trends behind more-sustainable chemical production: Process Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Industrial Water Management, Plant and Process Safety, and Digitalization.

• Digitalization is perhaps the most visible of these five focus areas. China is a leader in this area. Nearly every piece of process equipment is either “smart” – able to communicate with other equipment and the manufacturing control system – or part of a virtual plant engineering concept. In the latter instance, process engineers design, build and optimize a “digital twin” before moving to actual hardware. At AchemAsia, digitalization will be covered in the CIESC Green and Intelligent Equipment Forum on 21 May,from 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. Hall 7.1 Forum C.
• In the area of pharmaceutical technology, strong global demand for safe production, reliable logistics and intelligent packaging has spurred cutting-edge technical innovations.  This topic will be covered in depth at the CIESC Pharmaceutical Chemical Engineering Forum on 23 May, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m, Hall 7.1 Forum C, and the Vogel Pharmaceutical Environmental Protection Technical Symposium on 21 May, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Hall 7.1 Forum B.
• Protection of the environment and human health are as important as efficient processes. The topics of industrial water management and plant and process safety target these requirements. AchemAsia is presenting state-of-the-art technology and equipment for environmental protection and safety, supported by a congress session on Industrial Water Management and Resources Recovery on 22 May, 1:30 p.m. - 4.25 p.m., and on 23 May, 10:00 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. in Hall 7.1 Forum A.

New AchemAsia App

In support of digitalization, the event offers a brand-new app that can help organize and guide each attendee’s individual experience at the show. It provides information on all exhibitors and lectures and the ability to instantly schedule visits, presentations and meetings—all in one platform. Centralization of exhibitions and lectures in one location, the NECC in Shanghai, allows visitors to concentrate on different aspects of their field of interest without having to change venues.

About DECHEMA
DECHEMA is the expert network for chemical engineering and biotechnology in Germany. As a non-profit professional society, we represent these fields in science, industry, politics and the general public. DECHEMA promotes scientific and technical exchange among experts from different disciplines, organizations and generations. We consolidate the know-how of over 5,800 individual and sustaining members. Every three years we organize ACHEMA in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, which is the world’s leading show of the process industries.

AchemAsia - International Expo and Innovation Forum for Sustainable Chemical Production - is the international technical and scientific exhibition and conference for the Asian market. With about 400 exhibitors from some 20 countries it focusses on the exchange of experience between scientists and engineers as well as between equipment suppliers and users. We draw on 30 years of expertise as event organizers in China with the unique background of 98 years of ACHEMA. AchemAsia takes place every three years. 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 will take place from 21-23 May 2019 in Shanghai. More at www.achemasia.de