Expoquimia, Equiplast y Eurosurfas turned BCN into the Mediterranean´s capital of applied chemistry

According to the final audience count, EXPOQUIMIA, EUROSURFAS and EQUIPLAST received 60,168 visits between the 14th and 15th of November 2005. The organisers highlighted the high quality of trade visitors as one of the main characteristics of what is called the Leading Applied Chemistry Event of the Mediterranean, is organised every three years by Fira de Barcelona.

EXPOQUIMIA recorded the largest audience with 71% of the total visits, followed by EQUIPLAST with 21%, and EUROSURFAS with 8%. EQUIPLAST received the highest percentage of foreign professionals, 9.64% of visits. EXPOQUIMIA’s visitors from abroad accounted for 6.55% and EUROSURFAS’s for 7%.

Between them, EXPOQUIMIA, EQUIPLAST and EUROSURFAS brought in 1,104 direct exhibitors (number of stands) and 3,304 indirect exhibitors (represented companies) in pavilions 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Gran Vía exhibition centre and provided the setting for a wide programme of side events, in which prestigious members of the scientific and technological fields participated and which were attended by 2,000 delegates.

On the Chemistry Day, the 15th of November, EXPOQUIMIA hosted several events during which representatives of the chemical industry demanded a greater presence of scientific subjects in secondary education. Among others, Avelino Corma, who was awarded the national Chemistry and Research Prize at EXPOQUIMIA, pointed out that one of the major threats to the development of the Spanish chemical sector is the weak presence of subjects like chemistry and physics in the current school curriculum. 

Biotechnology was another of the focal points. In collaboration with the Fundació Catalana per la Recerca (Catalan Research Foundation), EXPOQUIMIA dedicated a specific conference to this emerging sector bearing the title “Biotechnology, an opportunity for innovation in the chemical sector”. The vice Chancellor of the University of Barcelona, Màrius Rubiralta, highlighted the role of chemistry in the development of the Catalan Bio Region. Rubiralta pointed out that the strength of the chemical sector is one of the main values of the Bio Region. He also mentioned the high level of development in Catalonia of biomedicine, scientific centres, universities and the business world.                   

The President of FEIQUE, Francisco Belil, took advantage of Expoquimia to give the figures of the Spanish chemical sector. Belil announced that the sector expects to close 2005 with a 5.8% increase in production value, a percentage which equates to some 36,000 million Euros.

1st Expoquimia Prize for Research, Development and Innovation

The first Expoquimia R&D&I Prize of 10,000 euros went to a group of researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and the ASCAMM Foundation for a project on the maintenance of multiple biological cultures. The project named “Modular System of Multiple Automated Mini Bioreactors for Multifunctional Screening in Biotechnology” was selected by the Judges for its innovativeness and the improvements it brings. 
(Detailed information can be found at www. expoquimia.com)

Compositech

One of the initiatives which attracted great interest from professional visitors was Compositech, the new sector dedicated to composites which EXPOQUIMIA introduced this year.

Compositech featured manufacturers of resins, fibres and fabrics; base materials; additives; adhesives; tooling and cast iron; processing equipment; assay and ancillary material; developers of applied software; and manufacturers of Rapid Prototyping, among others. To show an example of these materials, this area showcased an exact replica of the sports car driven to victory in the world F-1 by Fernando Alonso.

EXPOQUIMIA, International Chemistry Fair; EQUIPLAST, International Plastics and Rubber Fair, and EUROSURFAS, International Paints and Surface treatments Fair, which because of their triennial frequency will be back in 2008, are trade shows of Fira de Barcelona, the leading organiser of industrial and professional exhibitions in Spain and one of the first four in Europe in number of events.

Barcelona, December 2005