Satisfaction among both exhibitors and visitors at the close of the first industrial fair held since the start of the pandemic
Optimism marks the most sustainable and innovative edition of the Expoquimia, Equiplast and Eurosurfas event
After four days of much activity, Expoquimia, Equiplast and Eurosurfas close their doors today to an event that has highlighted the status of these three must-attend events for the chemical, plastics and surface treatment industries. The focus on sustainability, digitalisation and technology transfer at the three trade fairs organised by Fira de Barcelona has aroused the interest of the numerous professionals who visited the three events with a spirit of optimism with regards to the economic recovery.
From 14 to 17 September, Hall 3 of the Gran Via venue brought together a total of 377 exhibitors and 654 brands in an event adapted in terms of volume and size to the current situation. They presented their new products and initiatives committed to the environment and received a very positive reception.
In this regard, the event has registered nearly 15,000 professional visitors, which has allowed the exhibiting companies to create new business opportunities. Similarly, the event featured a national and international VIP Buyers programme with the presence of 150 potential buyers from countries such as Algeria, Colombia, Germany, Great Britain, Finland, the Ivory Coast, Sweden and Tunisia, among others.
Expoquimia’s President, Carles Navarro, pointed out that “this year’s event has shown the sector’s commitment to innovation in order to achieve the decarbonisation that our planet requires.” For this reason, the Smart Chemistry, Smart Future innovation space, promoted by the Spanish Chemical Industry Business Federation (FEIQUE in its Spanish initials), was one of the main attractions of the show, presenting the products developed by various companies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as the first emotional humanoid robot, biodegradable and compostable bioplastics, chemical recycling technologies and the first PVC produced from biomass.
Recycling and Digitalisation
Thus, the sector’s commitment to the circular and sustainable economy was the focus of an event in which, in a truly unprecedented initiative in Spain, Equiplast set up a recycling plant which processed a total of 4,500 kilos of plastic during the four days of the event. The President of Equiplast, Bernd Roegele, emphasised that “the exhibitors have expressed their satisfaction with the quantity and quality of the visitors under such complicated circumstances as those we are currently experiencing.”
As for Eurosurfas, it has presented the latest advances in the field of functional surfaces, which allow certain properties such as antioxidants or water repellents to be added to the final finish of all types of products. Its president, Giampiero Cortinovis, expressed his “appreciation for the companies that have chosen to participate in this year’s edition and the trade fair’s contribution to the digital transformation of this industry.”
The Eurosurfas Eurocar congress, the Expoquimia and Equiplast Awards, as well as various conferences, seminars and presentations with the participation of among others, the Secretary General for Industry, Raúl Blanco; the head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at BASF, Iván Albertos and the head of Business Development at Telefónica, Miquel Nieto, completed this year’s offer.
As it is a three-yearly event, the next edition of these three events, which have the support of the technology centres Leitat and Tecnalia as strategic partners, will take place in 2023.