XIII International Symposium “Polymer Industry: Innovations. Efficiency. Resource Saving” was held in Yaroslavl from 28 to 30 July. Plastics industry players came here from all over Russia - Ulyanovsk, Rostov-on-Don, Cherepovets, Samara, Kazan, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Dzerzhinsk, Moscow and Moscow Region, Yaroslavl, Perm, Oktyabrsk (Bashkiria), Pervouralsk, St. Petersburg etc. In the assembly hall of the State Academy of Industrial Management named after N.P. Pastukhov, they discussed the possibilities and potential of the industry, new trends in the raw materials development, equipment, technologies, the prospects of a circular economy and other up-to-date issues of plastics production. More than 20 speakers from different fields of processing, as well as manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials and equipment, presented their reports.
On the first day of the Symposium, Mikhail Katsevman, Director of NPP Polyplastic, President of SPP (Union of Plastics Processors), made his speech in a live streaming format. In his report “Competitiveness of Russian plastics processing: basic principles that determine innovation policy”, he spoke about the critical problems and prospects of the industry, about the influence of political decisions on it, gave interesting statistics on the volumes and prospects of processing. The report aroused great interest and was repeatedly quoted by next speakers during their own presentations.
The rest of the speakers made their presentations off-line. Speech by Igor Lyashkov, Deputy director of the Scientific Technical Centre CHIMVEST of Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, was devoted to the government measures to support the enterprises of the plastics industry. Many people came up with the questions after his speech, including ones about the practical ways of implementing this support.
Nikolay Priporov, General manager of SOLAN-D, spoke about the static mixer. The audience was interested in the benefits of using it in injection molding and extrusion processes.
For the first time, Aleko company took part in the Polymer Symposium. The report was about the Russian-produced machines for film extrusion, and one of the many emerging questions was - why did Aleko succeed in manufacturing extrusion equipment in Russia, but no one still does the same for injection molding.
The central topics of the second day were the up-to-date problems of plastics production, recycling and the attitude of government institutions to issues related to the ban on various plastics products. Petr Bazunov, General manager of SPP, provided his report on the latter topic. He presented a list of 27 items for potential banning and described how plastics industry players can work together to prevent a ban of these plastic products.
A round table on education in the plastics field took place in the afternoon. Representatives of different universities participated in it as experts: Timur Deberdeev, Head of Technologies of polymers and composite materials processing department (KNRTU, Kazan), Valery Vlasov, associate professor of the Chemical technology of biologically active materials and polymer composites department (YSTU, Yaroslavl), Nina Aniskina, Rector of the State Academy of Industrial Management named after N.P. Pastukhov (Yaroslavl).
The third day was traditionally devoted to the factory tours to the production facilities of the Yaroslavl region. Plastics professionals visited the industrial techno park Master in Tutaev town. Various small enterprises are located on its territory: Army Transporters and Tractors, PSM, Volga-Polymer, Intellect furniture, Glavsorbent, TZPI, OKSO. The trip continued with a tour around Luch chemical plant, one of the biggest manufacturer of paints, pencils, glues and other art products. The end of the program was a visit to the production of Scientific and technical firm NTV, the host of the Polymer Symposium, which specializes in the restoration of screws.
The Symposium participants noted that the professional level of the speakers was really high, and information they got was relevant and useful in theory and in practice.
The participants of the Polymer Symposium also enjoyed the evening program. They danced at the Ball dance party, which took place among plastics specialists for the third time, got to know Yaroslavl - the pearl of the Golden Ring of Russia, and enjoyed informal friendly atmosphere at a banquet in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Scientific and Technical Firm NTV.
Once again Polymer Symposium helped to successfully solve the problems of the participants to exchange experience with colleagues, learn the latest news, think about the prospects, see partners and clients in person and meet the new ones.
