AchemAsia 2004 – a short review

China’s economy is booming and it offers outstanding opportunities for equipment manufacturers, plant engineers and technology suppliers in the chemical process industry worldwide. Exhibitors and visitors at AchemAsia International Exhibition & Congress on Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology which took place for the sixth time from 11 to 15 May 2004 in Beijing/PR China unanimously confirmed this.
Optimism, high quality and good contacts were the hallmarks of the 6th AchemAsia which further consolidated its position since the first event in 1989 as Asia’s most comprehensive event for the chemical process industries – for equipment manufacturers, plant engineers and technology suppliers. AchemAsia’s exhibition profile targeted the main priorities of the Chinese economy, particularly in the sectors of the chemical and petrochemical industries, pharmaceutical production technology, food technology, biotechnology and environmental protection. 414 exhibitors from 25 different countries and regions displayed investment goods and new developments for the fields of chemical apparatus and plant design (41%), process engineering (33%), petrochemistry (25%), pharmaceutical production technology (23%), food technology (18%), environmental technology (15%), biotechnology (15%), laboratory and analytical techniques (13%), water technologies (11%), and agrochemistry (10%).

For the first time it was not possible to fulfill all the exhibitors’ requests for stand areas, thus AchemaAsia 2007 will require additional hall capacity. The largest contingent of exhibitors came from China with a total of 167, of whom over one third represented subsidiaries and joint ventures of international companies. The second largest group came from Germany with 134 exhibitors, followed by Australia (17 exhibitors), Great Britain (15 exhibitors), France (14 exhibitors), USA (12 exhibitors), and Switzerland (10 exhibitors). The number of Chinese exhibitors increased by 44% over 2001, that of international companies by 20%.
The total of 18,440 visitors, including numerous decision-makers from Chinese industry, design institutes and large concerns, such as Sinopec, and a high number of managers and CEOs of foreign companies from 25 countries and regions, attached great importance to the presentations and networking opportunities at AchemAsia 2004. Just under 10% of all attendees were from abroad.
The new concept for the AchemAsia Congress with business meetings, scientific lectures and presentations by exhibitors proved highly popular. Approximately 3,000 professionals attended these events. This 40% rise over 2001 proves that there is a high demand for an international exchange of ideas and experience on cutting-edge technologies and cooperations. The number of exhibitors and congress visitors clearly reflects the macroeconomic development of China which is characterized by the steady growth of the private sector.