Advancing to success

The last ACHEMA took place at a difficult time, but this time, there are clear signs of economic growth. Appropriately enough, this was reflected in the optimistic mood of Chairman of DECHEMA Dr. Alfred Oberholz and Chief Executive Prof. Gerhard Kreysa when they talked to PROCESS.

PROCESS: Dr. Oberholz, the latest OECD business indicator forecasts very good growth prospects for the current year. Is the upbeat mood likely to impact on this year’s ACHEMA as well?
Answer: Absolutely! ACHEMA 2006 has come at just the right time to reinforce the radical worldwide growth in the sector. It is self-evident that the ideal conditions are in place to write the sequel to ACHEMA’s success story.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, how many exhibitors are you currently expecting?
Answer: We are noticing a tendency by exhibitors to put off the decision to take part in ACHEMA until quite late. We used to be able to forecast the number of exhibitors with certainty at least six months in advance of ACHEMA, but even now we are still getting plenty of registrations. Even if we can no longer forecast numbers with certainty we still expect this year’s ACHEMA to be highly successful and to top last year’s exhibitor numbers.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, ACHEMA has clearly taken on more of an international character in recent years, especially among the exhibitors. Is this trend set to continue in 2006?
Answer: It is quite true that ACHEMA is becoming even more international. While the proportion of foreign exhibitors stood at 37.7 percent in 2000 it rose in 2003 to 40.6 percent and is set to rise again this year, with the number of registrations from abroad already accounting for some 43 percent. This is a clear indication that foreign participation is increasing with each ACHEMA.

PROCESS: Dr. Oberholz, as the Chairman of a major chemical company you know from experience that the service providing sector is continually gaining ground in the chemical and supplier industries. Is this reflected in this year’s ACHEMA Special Show ”Service Providers for the Process Industries”?
Answer: An emphatic ‘yes’! The Special Show is always an attempt on our part to put the spotlight on a theme which we consider to be particularly relevant for the future. In the past we have sometimes tended to be almost too visionary in our choice of theme and this was reflected in the response. But this year we have obviously hit on a highly topical trend. The Special Show quite clearly surpasses ACHEMA 2003 both in terms of exhibitor numbers and size of exhibition area. 

PROCESS: Dr. Oberholz, in the Middle East there is currently substantial investment being poured into upstream projects linked to the petrochemical industry in particular. Nominally the growth rates are on a par with those in China and India. What effect is this having on ACHEMA’s exhibitors and visitor numbers?
Answer: Traditionally, the ACHEMA has always been attended by a relatively large, high-caliber delegation from the Arab region. There is currently a lot of movement in this region, with plant engineering and construction in particular experiencing a boom. In contrast to the Chinese market which mainly involves local suppliers, the Middle East market relies on foreign suppliers. Happily it is not only the major European plant engineering firms which benefit from this, but small and medium-sized companies are also getting a look-in on the investment projects. In this respect there are major opportunities for many ACHEMA exhibitors here.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, at last year’s ACHEMA it was the pharmaceutical, packaging and storage techniques which recorded the highest increase in exhibition space. Is this trend likely to continue this year?
Answer: When we restructured the hall allocation in 2003 we saw a real boom in exhibitor numbers in the segments you have mentioned. This year the increase has not been as dramatic as three years ago but exhibitor numbers continue to grow.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, are there other expanding exhibitor groups?
Answer: The number of suppliers of pumps, compressors, fittings and thermal process systems has already passed the 2003 mark. But there is significant growth in other groups as well. This growth is only possible because three years ago we reorganized the exhibition structure on the fairground. Having taken this step we are in a position to accept new exhibitors and satisfy the wish to expand.

PROCESS: Dr. Oberholz, following the initial hype surrounding biotechnology things have bottomed out completely, especially as regards the financing of promising and innovative firms. Has this affected the importance of biotechnology as a cross-sectional topic at ACHEMA?
Answer: In the last two years there has been a breakthrough in getting across the message that biotechnology involves the need to differentiate. It is not merely confined to the well-established red biotechnology and the green, which is on verge of a boom in Germany, too. But there is also the white, namely industrial biotechnology, which is breaking new ground, as evidenced in the move away from crude oil to the use of renewable resources. In my view the overall importance of biotechnology is underlined by the fact that, of the 4,000 exhibitors, roughly 1,000 address this topic in some way.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, the role of process automation is becoming increasingly important as far as plant efficiency and safety are concerned. ACHEMA has also chosen to prioritize this topic, embarking on a new partnership with NAMUR. How is the collaboration working out?
Answer: We have greatly stepped up our collaboration with NAMUR and are thrilled to have their official support. NAMUR will be organizing a whole series of expert forums as an integral part of the exhibition. This will create an opportunity for users and manufacturers to get together in one place and discuss trends and future requirements.

PROCESS: Dr. Oberholz, in the traditional domains the process industry is considered to be a relatively mature sector where technological quantum leaps are no longer the order of the day. What can we expect at ACHEMA in terms of technical innovations and what do you think should be particularly emphasized?
Answer: We are not keen on the expression ”mature industry” because it is often used to imply that there is no longer any potential for innovation. And that is entirely wrong. The chemical industry is bursting with innovation potential. This is evident in topics such as nanotechnology and process intensification, for which new specialist sections were recently established at DECHEMA, and the related field of microreactor technology.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, what are your personal hopes and expectations for ACHEMA 2006?
Answer: Given the economic upturn, this year’s ACHEMA will demonstrate one thing with clarity – that chemistry is a major driving force for innovation for the economy as a whole. Despite all the fluctuations it is a stable industry, providing a sound basis for our national economy.

Dr Oberholz: Whenever the economy gathers momentum the chemical industry is usually at the cutting edge. 2005 was a good year for the chemical industry and the prognosis for 2006 is also good. I therefore expect that ACHEMA 2006 will give a boost to the sector as a whole.

PROCESS: Prof. Kreysa, Dr. Oberholz, thank you for taking the time to talk to us.