From 30 May to 2 June, Expoquimia and Equiplast, leading events for the Spanish chemical and plastics industries, respectively, will be held jointly at the Fira Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, bringing together 580 direct exhibitors from 15 countries, 1,500 brands represented, and more than a hundred knowledge and networking activities. The trade shows will be focused on the promotion of the circular economy, digitalization, and technology transfer as the main drivers for these sectors to guarantee a sustainable future.
Expoquimia and Equiplast will take the pulse of two transversal and essential industries in the Spanish economy, especially the chemical industry, which has an annual turnover of almost 90,000 million euros in Spain and supplies products and technologies to 98% of the productive sectors, according to data from the Spanish Chemical Industry Business Federation (FEIQUE). It is therefore a strategic player in tackling climate change and making progress in renewable energies such as hydrogen, without forgetting new developments in sectors with a direct impact on everyday life such as agri-food, pharmaceuticals, mobility, and digital technologies.
For its part, the Spanish plastics sector generates an annual turnover of near 28,000 million euros according to Equiplast report and seeks to accelerate its transition towards the circular economy by converting the waste of this versatile, resistant, and long-lasting material into a valuable and inexhaustible resource for the manufacture of new materials and products in sectors such as packaging, construction, automotive, electronics, gardening and textiles, among others.
Organized by Fira de Barcelona, Expoquimia and Equiplast will occupy the whole of Hall 3 of the Gran Via exhibition centre with 21,000 m2 net floor space. As these are industrial shows, the machinery, equipment, and technology sectors will play a leading role, exhibiting equipment in operation for all types of automated production processes and for the manufacture and transformation of plastics. Also, on display at Expoquimia are raw materials and basic chemistry; analytical instrumentation, measurement, and control; and materials and systems for surface treatment. Meanwhile, Equiplast will also feature raw materials and additives, moulds and dies, semi-finished or finished plastic products, various services and recycling.
Connecting to sustainability
With the slogan "Connecting industry, society and sustainability", Expoquimia and Equiplast are committed to providing knowledge and showcasing case studies on the latest innovations and projects that enable major challenges such as the circular economy, decarbonisation and climate neutrality to be tackled, also relying on digitalization and knowledge transfer. In four days, almost a hundred sessions will be held between congresses and other conferences, lectures, round tables, and presentations with the participation of a total of 263 speakers.
The agenda includes the Agora "Smart Chemistry, Smart Future", promoted by FEIQUE on the contribution of the chemical industry to the European Green Pact; the Mediterranean Chemical Engineering Congress (MECCE), focusing on the 2030 Agenda and bringing together scientists, researchers, chemical engineers and professionals from industrial companies, and the Eurocar Meeting Plastics & Surfaces on new materials and surface treatments for new mobility.
Shared spaces
As a new feature, Expoquimia and Equiplast will share the "Industry Showcase" knowledge space where representatives of the sectors that use solutions from the chemical and plastics industry will speak. Each day will be dedicated to a specific topic: hydrogen, circular economy, digitalization and technology transfer. The Tech Transfer & Innovation Area will also be shared, with the participation of a dozen European spin-offs, start-ups and research projects linked to chemistry and plastics.
The list of activities is completed by the Equiplast exhibition "Rethinking Plastics" to discover the many other possible lives of plastics through an exhibition of everyday objects such as backpacks, packaging, furniture, household items, pallets, films, dumbbells, mobile phone covers or wastepaper baskets, made from 100% recycled, biodegradable or renewable plastic.
There will also be award ceremonies, sectorial tributes, business meetings with invited buyers through internationalization programs, association meetings, the Equiplast Fest and a gala dinner that will bring together the main entrepreneurs and executives of the chemical industry in our country, as well as personalities from the institutional, social and economic world.
Finally, Expoquimia and Equiplast will also share visitors, allowing the accredited public from each show to access the other indistinctly. The alliance between these emblematic trade fairs is expected to attract some 19,000 professionals.
