Industry News - 2023

Stefan Musner takes over the sales management of Next Generation Recycling Machines GmbH (NGR) Feldkirchen a.d. Donau. In mid-November 2023, Stefan Musner took over the role of Sales Director at Next Generation Recycling Machines GmbH, thereby strengthening the company's leadership team. With his extensive expertise in international sales and almost a decade of experience in the plastic industry, Musner brings a wide range of skills to lead and further develop NGR's global sales.  

SPS – Smart Production Solutions Guangzhou, formerly known as SIAF, will return to the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou from 4 – 6 March 2024. Over the past 14 years, the show has offered a critical sourcing platform to companies seeking to enter the South China manufacturing market. The show’s renaming signifies a renewal of its concept, reflecting its development within the region while elevating it to an official member of the globally-recognised SPS brand. With this change, SPS – Smart Production Solutions Guangzhou will synergise with SPS in Germany, facilitating the flow of resources and expertise between fairs under the brand.

Turkey, nestled at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, boasts a rich cultural and historical heritage and has recently emerged as a formidable economic force in the Middle East and Eurasia. As Turkey approaches its centennial in 2023, the government has embarked on an ambitious journey to propel the nation to new heights, setting forth a series of formidable goals. These targets include achieving a colossal gross domestic product of $2 trillion, elevating per capita income to $25,000, increasing exports to $500 billion, expanding total import-export trade to $1 trillion, slashing unemployment rate to a mere 5%, enticing 50 million tourists, and striving to be ranked among the world's top 10 economies.

Introduction: In recent years, Turkey's plastic and rubber industry has seen rapid growth, marked by continuous production and demand increases, as well as expanding export trade. The transformation of Turkey's image has been especially noteworthy. In the face of Turkey's remarkable ascent, what advantages can enable Taiwan to enhance its brand competitiveness through sustainable transformation?

This month, Propak West Africa returned to Lagos, Nigeria for its highly anticipated 10th Edition, welcoming 4,931 industry stakeholders through the doors to visit 152 exhibitor stands, showcasing the newest innovations from over 200 brands along with exciting live demonstrations of the latest equipment in action on the exhibition floor. This year’s edition, marking 10 years of Propak took place from 12 – 14 September 2023, saw industry professionals from across the packaging, plastics, printing and food processing industries unite under one roof to source the latest products and solutions to take their supply chain to the next level. This year’s event was opened by welcome remarks from Marilyn Obaisa-Osula, Associate Director, ESG/Sustainability at KPMG in Nigeria, Aruna Oshiokamele, Managing Director at Tetra Pak West Africa and Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director General at Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) alongside an official introduction and address from George Pearson, Regional Director of Afrocet Montgomery.

Following a hugely successful launch edition in 2023 which garnered the support of the Ghana manufacturing base and brought them together for the first time at an international platform, Propak Ghana will return in April 2024. Acting as the premium platform for the industry, by providing a meeting point for the leading manufacturers working across the processing, packaging and printing industries in the region to understand what is new in the market place and meet face to face with people actioning change in the industry.

Over the years, VietnamPlas has been known as a reliable trade platform where domestic and international businesses have exchanged knowledge and technical advancements in the industry and have engaged in procurement. This year, the exhibition has attracted the participation of 18,507 visitors and 625 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions.

In an era marked by a growing commitment to environmental sustainability, industries around the world are undergoing a transformative shift toward more eco-conscious practices. The plastic and rubber industries, pivotal players on the global production stage, they play a central role in driving this transformative wave of change. They recognize their responsibility in curbing environmental impact and are embracing recyclable solutions and sustainable practices to reduce their ecological footprint.

For a long time, our economy has been dominated by a linear approach under which raw materials are manufactured, processed, used once, and thrown away. But the future calls for a circular economy in which we reuse our products and recycle them efficiently at the end of their life. And that holds true for plastic as well. This is not a new topic, but it is one that has been gaining ground in recent years.