Dechema summarises the discussions, visitors and positive atmosphere of this year's Achemasia process-industry event, held at the China National Convention Center.
In his welcome address, Prof Cao Xianghong, chairman of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China (CIESC), underlined the importance of international exchange for the Chinese process industry, especially this past year, when the impact of the financial crisis was still perceptible in China.
In the mid and long term, it would be essential to prepare for the shift of the resource base that would become necessary in the face of dwindling oil reserves.
Cao also gave an account of the challenges caused by limited water resources, especially for coal conversion in regions with rich deposits.
At the press conference, Dr Hans Jurgen Wernicke, Dechema chairman, talked about the necessity of a sustainable supply of energy and raw materials and underlined the contribution of the process industries in this context.
He was happy that the Chinese partners were giving priority to the same questions that were also moving Germany and the Western industrial nations.
With 190 exhibitors, China accounted for the largest group, followed by Germany (118), France (23) and the US (11).
Overall, the exhibition and congress attracted 12,453 visitors.
Among the 89 lectures, there were plenary lectures and sessions on water treatment, clean energy and bio-refineries, as well as exhibitor presentations.
Leading topics included sustainability in energy generation and production.
These issues are also in the focus of China's research-and-development efforts.
A VIP meeting on water treatment offered an opportunity for intensive discussion and networking with about 25 professionals from all over the world.
Achemasia also included a guest event on pharmaceutical engineering by Process China and a session on laboratory automation by the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA).
