Technological watch

After their four-day run as in-person events interplastica, International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, and upakovka - Processing & Packaging have achieved extremely successful results. For the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, the trade fair duo took place live in Moscow. A total of 17,000 visitors came to the Central Exhibition Complex Expocentre from 25 to 28 to see the innovations of 650 exhibitors from 32 countries, to make or intensify contacts and to take part in the extensive lecture programme. The mood in the halls was good, and exhibitors praised in particular the high quality of the contacts.

"interplastica 2022 was a great trade fair. Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland were represented with official country pavilions, as was Russia with its key players," said a delighted Thomas R. Stenzel, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Moscow. "Trade visitors at interplastica were finally able to exchange ideas with specialists in person again, discuss current issues in the industry and examine innovative solutions live," continues Stenzel.

Trade visitors from 63 countries, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, unanimously praised the diversity of the exhibitors, their professionalism and the high level of trade fair preparation. During the four days of the fair, the atmosphere in the exhibition halls was exceptionally busy and positive.

Suppliers from the fields of machinery and equipment for the production and processing of plastics and rubbers, raw and auxiliary materials, products made of polymers and rubbers, as well as services for the plastics and rubber industry presented themselves in Moscow. Many leading companies in the industry, such as Arburg, Atlasmash, Borche Machinery, Diflex, Engel, Erema, Fanuc, Formotronik, Haitian Russia, Kautex, Lukoil-RNP-Trading, PJSC Sibur Holding, Reifenhäuser, R&P Polyplastic, Resinex, Solan-D, Tomra Recycling were represented at interplastica 2022.

Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association in the VDMA, states from the perspective of the German industry: "Exports of German plastics and rubber machinery to Russia already fell sharply in 2019 compared to previous years. After a strong upward trend in 2020, however, a downward trend set in again in 2021. This means that the Russian market has currently dropped out of the top 10 most important sales countries, but this huge market will retain an important position in the future. Russian plastics processors value the long-standing relations with German mechanical engineering and the promise of quality "Made in Germany". In addition, the machine builders are very well positioned in the topics of recycling and circular economy - which are also gaining enormously in importance in Russia - and can score points with their technologies against non-European competition."

The fact that Russia is planning to fundamentally modernise its infrastructure in the field of waste management in the next few years also brought a great response to the exhibition segment Recycling Solutions, in which exhibitors presented themselves specifically with solutions relating to recycling. Equally in demand was the Additive Minded segment, which was dedicated to applied science and additive technologies.

A highlight of interplastica was once again the Polymer Plaza. With top-class lectures and discussions on raw material production, application and processing, it provided valuable added value for trade fair visitors. Here, too, the theme day on circular economy and recycling was particularly popular.