VDMA's plastics and rubber machinery association for the first time staged a technical conference combined with a B2B meeting running in parallel on December 7 and 8 in Tehran. More than 500 participants from all parts of Iran joined in the two days' event, the majority of guests representing the plastics and rubber processing sector, but the local resin producers as well as branch associations and the media also took part.
The event was opened by the association's chairman, Ulrich Reifenhäuser, and the German ambassador to Iran, Michael von Ungern-Sternberg. Statements on today's situation in politics, industry as well as the plastics and rubber industries in Iran have been given by representatives from IDRO (Iran Development & Renovation Organisation), the Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Industries and Business and the Iran National Plastics & Polymer Association.
With an overall number of 37 presentations in five different workshops - automotive, construction, packaging, medical and peripheral, specialized equipment - 21 association members from Germany, Austria and France introduced solutions specifically related to those fields of applications. Speakers mainly represented manufacturers of injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, foaming as well as peripheral machinery and equipment.
On both days, Iranian visitors intensely made use of the B2B matchmaking area to get in personal contact with German representatives, to build on existing relations, establish new ones and to discuss project ideas. At the closure of the event all parties involved expressed contentment and confidence resulting from more than 300 B2B meetings.
As Ulrich Reifenhäuser stressed, chances for a political change and economic easing are good and optimism is running high – the time is ripe to re-start German-Iranian relations in the field of plastics and rubber.
