CHINAPLAS - Ready to Roll at Shanghai Kick-off Gala successfully held

After a 6-year absence, CHINAPLAS, the world‘s leading plastics and rubber trade fair, is ready to make a strong comeback to Shanghai on April 23-26, 2024, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Hongqiao, Shanghai, PR China.

To mark this special occasion, CHINAPLAS - Ready to Roll at Shanghai Kick-off Gala was held in Shanghai on March 28. More than 160 industry representatives attended the event in person and over 10,000 industry players participated online to witness the thrilling moment, sailing through high winds toward a brighter future together.

More than 160 industry representatives attended the CHINAPLAS - Ready to Roll at Shanghai Kick-off Gala in person and over 10,000 industry players participated online to witness the thrilling moment.

“We are glad to announce a record-breaking show scale of this year. The number of exhibitors hits a new high of 4,420, an increase of 12% compared to the 2018 edition in Shanghai, while the total exhibition area reaches 380,000 sqm. In response to the strong demand for technological innovation, cost reduction and efficiency enhancement, and energy saving and carbon reduction among the industry, the exhibition highlights 'circular economy', 'innovative materials', 'digitalization' and 'high-end technologies from China', showcasing the top achievements in plastics and rubber technology, as well as the upgrading of the industry and collaborative innovations, to inject impetus into the new productive forces," said Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., the organizer of the exhibition.

Ms. Ada Leung, General Manager, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd.

Discussing Four Major Trends: Innovative Technology Gaining Momentum

China's manufacturing industry is at the forefront of transformation and upgrading in the new era. At the CHINAPLAS Returns to Shanghai Kick-off Gala, Ms. Samantha Zhang, Project Director of Sales and Marketing, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., shared highlights of the upcoming CHINAPLAS 2024 exhibition.

She mentioned that circular economy, innovative materials, digitization & intelligent manufacturing, and high-end technology made in China are important development trends in the industry, which are the focus of this year's exhibition. One can get a glimpse of these trends from the sharing of well-known exhibitors and buyer representatives at the Kick-off Gala.

During the speech, Mr. Lu Jianbo, Manager of Sustainability Development and Innovative Applications, BASF, mentioned that through the ChemCycling® business, BASF plans to expand the use of chemically recycled plastic waste as raw materials in collaboration with partners. He also previewed the showcase of "Quality Balanced PA66 Containing Post-Consumer Plastic Waste from Asia" at CHINAPLAS 2024.

Mr. Lu Jianbo, Manager of Sustainability Development and Innovative Applications, BASF.

Mr. Xu Bin, Deputy General Manager of Haitian Plastics Machinery Global Industry Line, Haitian International Holdings Ltd., believes that with the upgrading of the industry standards, the demand for intelligentization in injection molding machines is increasing.

Focusing on the future of injection molding in China, Mr. Xu introduced Haitian's 5th generation technologies, including injection compression technology, optical grid low-pressure injection molding process, polyurethane in-mold coating process, in-mold electronics (IME) process, and lightweight micro-foaming technology. These innovations can be applied in automotive display screen protectors, interior and exterior parts, battery brackets, and more.

Mr. Xu Bin, Deputy General Manager of Haitian Plastics Machinery Global Industry Line, Haitian International Holdings Ltd.

Mr. Xu Mingxian, Chief Technology Officer, Motan Taicang Co., Ltd., shared the company's digital auxiliary equipment. Compared to traditional plastic processing methods, it helps reduce costs, energy consumption, and achieve better process control without compromising quality. He presented the "Motan’s Agile Digitalization Strategy and its Contribution to Enterprise Development."

Mr. Xu Mingxian, Chief Technology Officer, Motan Taicang Co., Ltd.

Mr. Wang Shaojie, Application Development Manager, Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd., introduced the innovative applications of high-performance materials such as PA12, PC, PMMA and POE in the fields of automotive, home appliance and circular economy. These applications promote the high-quality development of the plastics industry.

Mr. Wang Shaojie, Application Development Manager, Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd.

Representatives from buyers analyzed industry trends and market demands from an application perspective. Mr. Si Chen, Director of Business and Sustainable Development at Amcor (China) Investment Co., Ltd., provided insights into the sustainable development trends of flexible packaging. He also shared solutions such as high-performance single-material packaging, the world's first PCR material food contact packaging, RFID packaging, and AR-enhanced interactive packaging.

Mr. Si Chen, Director of Business and Sustainable Development, Amcor (China) Investment Co., Ltd.

Mr. Sun Zhejun, Procurement Manager, SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., discussed the impact of cost control and environmental requirements on the selection of raw materials by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), as well as the new opportunities brought by the collaboration between raw material suppliers and OEMs. Mr. Sun mentioned that new materials can replace traditional processes, thereby reduce material costs, and improve production efficiency. He looks forward to close cooperation with raw material suppliers through shorter information chains to jointly build a stable and agile supply chain system.

Mr. Sun Zhejun, Purchasing Manager, SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd.

Expecting a Significant Increase in Overseas Visitors

China's continuous technological innovation in plastics and rubber machinery and materials has significantly enhanced its competitiveness in overseas markets, facilitating a rapid expansion in overseas presence. This has laid a robust foundation for inviting overseas visitors to CHINAPLAS.

As of early March, China has granted visa-free entry to a number of Asian and European countries, and has also introduced new measures to simplify visa processes. While China is expanding its visa-free access, CHINAPLAS 2024 has also intensified its efforts to attract foreign visitors.

Visitors from over 120 countries and regions have already completed pre-registration, with overseas buyers accounting for approximately 25%. The number of pre-registrations from overseas buyers not only represents an increase of over 175% compared to the same period last year (as of Mar 24), but also sets a new record.

The exhibition is to welcome over 360 visiting groups, with more than 70 coming from overseas, including notable organizations such as Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Indonesian Packaging Federation, Vietnam Plastics Association, Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers Association, Thai Auto-Parts Manufacturers Association, The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association, 18. Turkish Plastics Industrialists’ Association, Polish Recycling Association, etc. It is projected that this year's exhibition will receive 270,000 local and overseas visitors from around the world.

Witnessing the Return of CHINAPLAS to Shanghai

“CHINAPLAS has evolved and developed hand in hand with China's plastics and rubber industries. Over the years, it fostered and witnessed the global integration and innovative development of the industry," Mr. Chen Guokang, Vice President and Secretary-General, Shanghai Society of Plastic Industry remarked. "We can find the trend-setting highlights for global plastics and rubber industries at each edition of the show. This year's event is set to once again be another highly anticipated gathering within the industry."

Mr. Chen Guokang, Vice President and Secretary-General, Shanghai Society of Plastic Industry.