Achema 2009 from May 11 to 15 in Frankfurt am Main is still on the road to success. “So far, the economic situation has had no consequences for the leading worldwide event for the process industries. We assume that Achema 2009 will even be a bit larger than Achema 2006“, said Professor Gerhard Kreysa, Dechema CEO and organiser of Achema, in an interview with cpp.
cpp: Achema is the outstanding event this year for many manufacturers of process components and plants. How are preparations progressing in the final weeks coming up to this international technology summit? How many exhibitors do you expect to attend?
Prof. Kreysa: Exhibitors continue to show a high level of interest. We rather notice the aspiration not to miss an event like Achema – especially at a time like this. My impression is that companies have already embarked on the right road – by taking action to get the situation back under control, fostering established contacts and presenting their innovations. If they have something useful to offer, they want it to be clearly visible. As the most important international exhibition-congress for chemical engineering and the process industries, Achema is the platform for new technologies and products, and also for the worldwide exchange and a forum for setting up new business connections. The number of exhibitors is likely to be in a similar order to 2006, perhaps even slightly more. As things stand at present, I anticipate that we will top the 3800 mark. I certainly cannot see any serious symptoms of depression at the moment. The trend towards internationalisation is also unbroken at Achema and it looks as if the quota of foreign exhibitors will rise to around 47 %. The size of the exhibition expressed in terms of booked space has been relatively stable for several months and I am still very confident. We only need about 1000 m2 more, equivalent to 0.8 %, to match the final level for Achema 2006. I am fairly certain this space will be filled by the time the event kicks off.
cpp: Are you willing to give a forecast regarding the number of visitors?
Prof. Kreysa: Expectations for attendance are also optimistic. Exhibitors are making extensive use of the new ticket booking system. And via exhibitors, we reach new target groups. What’s more, the response to the call for papers in the Congress programme has been noticeably higher than in the past. We have had even more difficulty than usual trying to accommodate all the submitted lectures within a reasonable schedule. In the meantime, we have absolutely no scope for any more. To me, this is another indication that the number of visitors will be high. We don’t know how many will actually turn up in the end, of course, but we are not anticipating any significant change.
cpp: Do you predict any major shifts with regard to the exhibition groups?
Prof. Kreysa: There have been no noticeable shifts in the exhibition groups to date – you could almost call them an unchanging natural quantity. The group profile is basically the same as last time. Pumps, Compressors, Valves and Fittings make up the largest group of exhibitors (992 on March 23), and the numbers are still growing. They are followed by Laboratory and Analytical Techniques (740 exhibitors), Engineering (655 exhibitors) and Thermal Processes, Mechanical Processes, Instrumentation, Control and Automation Techniques and Pharmaceutical, Packaging and Storage Techniques.
cpp: Many people still consider Achema to be the driver of innovation for the entire industry. Do you share this opinion and can we look forward to any pioneering developments?
Prof. Kreysa: Achema 2009 will once again be the innovation forum for the process industry. Energy efficiency remains an important driver for innovation, both for individual components and for measurement and control technology. Process intensification maintains a crucial role. In addition, new topics like advanced fluids and microreaction technology have also entered into industrial applications and some interesting new developments can be expected. Applications for computational fluid dynamics and white biotechnology are another key area that is rapidly gaining ground in the engineering sector, with trailblazing innovations being announced at regular intervals.
cpp: Could you give us a brief run-down on the topics that will be covered by the Achema Congress? How many participants do you think it will attract and which do you reckon will be the chief topics of public interest?
Prof. Kreysa: The Congress programme consists of 925 lectures. Based on the interest expressed by those giving the talks and those keen to listen to them, white biotechnology will be one of the main focal issues alongside advanced fluids, ionic liquids, microchemical engineering, process intensification and energy generation and supply. However, several other areas that have tended to be neglected for a while, such as electrochemistry in industrial applications, are also enjoying renewed popularity. They, too, will be the subject of various lectures. A whole series of informative talks will be offered parallel to the special show entitled ‘Chemistry and Biotechnology for Renewable Resources and Energy’. Topics of today’s congress are often seen at tomorrow’s exhibition.
cpp: With its central theme ‘Chemistry and Biotechnology for Renewable Resources and Energy’, the Achema 2009 Special Show will reflect the growing significance of utilising non-fossil resources, both as raw materials and as energy carriers. Can you outline the major features of this event for us?
Prof. Kreysa: The special show on ‘Chemistry and Biotechnology for Renewable Resources and Energy’ will bring together exhibitors wishing to present both established processes and processes that are still at the development stage in a separate area in Hall 4.2. The special topics covered will include processing of renewable resources, biopolymers, solar chemical processes, energy storage and photovoltaics. As these are cross-cutting topics that are part of the portfolio of many exhibitors, they will not be restricted to the special show but run through all exhibition groups. For this reason, the special show will also touch on two traditional general topics at Achema, namely biotechnology and environmental protection, which will each be presented by around 1000 exhibitors. I confess that we were originally expecting rather more submissions that we have actually received so far. Nevertheless, I don’t see this as a sign that our chosen theme is not relevant. The problem is that many companies are already covering the issues at their respective stands and are unwilling to set aside personnel for a second exhibit.
cpp: The Namur expert round tables were held at Achema for the first time in 2006, when they proved to be a great success. Where will the focus of this year’s round tables lie?
Prof. Kreysa: Experts will take part in daily discussions at Achema in Hall 10.1 under the motto ‘Automation in Dialog’. The round tables will be jointly organised by Namur, ZVEI and ARC and participated in by representatives of manufacturers, users, solution providers, consultants and public authorities. This year’s Namur expert round tables will debate current topics such as operational excellence, explosion protection, plant asset management, advanced process control and life cycle management.
“It’s the exhibits themselves that interest us most, not the revolving restaurant“
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