Feedback from Khimia 2020 exhibitors and visitors
Georgy Khachiyan, Director General of Reatorg OOO:
The problem of interaction between chemical and pharmaceutical fields comes to the foreground. The problem is more than topical against the background of coronavirus-related restrictions, which started at the beginning of the year. The production of substances is quite a complicated technological process, but we have no idea where to get raw materials for these substances. There is no unified information base that could be used to get this information.
Our company designs fine chemical enterprises and produces equipment. Naturally, we are directly interested in having many more such productions. I hope the industry will only develop. Experts gathered at this exhibition to discuss all topical issues. For those who could not come, there was an online broadcast. Colleagues from different parts of the country could take part in discussion sessions.
We always participate in all industry exhibitions, because it is a great opportunity to communicate live with people, to show our achievements, to see the achievements of our partners and again take part in discussions live.
Maria Ivanova, First Vice-President of the Russian Chemists Union:
The Moscow International Chemical Forum is, of course, the central event for all chemists! It is a unique platform for meeting, exchange of experience and news. Over the last few months we have learned to live actively in virtual space. The Forum was organised in a hybrid form, i.e. in addition to reports in the hall, there were broadcasts online.
I am grateful to all the speakers who took part in our forum this year. We were able to reveal a large number of topics. If you look at the programme, you will see that we talked about both ecology and sustainable development, which is important in the current situation. We talked about the new challenges facing the chemical industry, because it continues to be the leader and driver of economic development in our country and the global community. It is the chemical industry that brings support solutions to overcome the difficult situation in which we find ourselves this year.
The exhibition and the forum are an organic unity. In my opinion, this is the best combination that can be. Here all the representatives of the industry gather together. It does not matter in what format - face-to-face, remotely. We exchange developments, ideas, development strategy of companies. Undoubtedly, we will consider practical tasks facing the industry, such as digitalisation, technology development, creation of new portfolio solutions for the companies, principles of circular economy implementation. We will involve foreign companies and the most advanced international experience to make our domestic industry dictating to the whole global community.
Timur Khalitov, Director General of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Development Corporation:
This is the main Russian site for discussion of issues related to the chemistry industry development. That's why we found it necessary to participate in the event, despite all restrictions imposed due to the epidemiological situation.
Undoubtedly, for us, the cooperation with the Russian Chemists Union is very important, because we hope that it will become a bridge for effective communication with the industry representatives.
Participation in this event is, first of all, about finding new contacts for implementation of the investment projects of Nizhny Novgorod Region. We will certainly take part in the event next time.
Viktor Ivanov, President of the Russian Chemists Union:
We have also experienced harder times and we will overcome this pandemic. The pace hasn't decreased compared to last year. 120 companies are participating in the event.
At the exhibition we will not only look at what our companies showcase, but also exchange views, hold a forum to discuss some issues.
We hope that the exhibition will run normally, as well as discussions, and everyone will be satisfied. It's a pity that many people didn't come, but we have to understand and treat the problems that every country now has. We all need to be very careful, polite, demanding of ourselves and others.
We expect that someone will get a decent ROI, someone will see something new, someone will share experience, acquire something, there will be new contracts. Even though many companies haven't exhibited, there are visitors, people who can find something new and introduce it into their enterprises. I think that the exhibition always leave a mark both in the soul and in the business.
Aleksandr Sharov – Director General of RusIranExpo
We have been working in chemistry for 30 years now. The petrochemical industry in Iran is developed on a large scale. The year before last, the volume of petrochemistry exceeded twice as much as the Russian one. One or two refineries were delivered during the year. Our cooperation with Iran has been going on for 10 years now. We were unable to go to Iran because of the pandemic. So I decided to seize the moment and made a stand at this exhibition. We are here, first of all, to present the Iranian petrochemistry.
We hold seminars on chemistry and transport as well as on medical equipment. All this is relevant. We take part in panels. We need to encourage dialogue between exporters and importers. This is not the first year we have been exhibiting. Iranian companies could not take part in the exhibition because of the pandemic. A great many factory representatives who came to the exhibition do not know about Iranian products. The Iranians would like to make three stands at the next exhibition. In October next year, we will help them make a large group stand.
Aleksandra Shaletskaya – Head of the Cluster Development Centre of the Leningrad Region Industrial Development Centre
One of the main tasks of the Leningrad Region Industrial Development Centre is to facilitate companies' participation in industry exhibitions. Last year our Centre analysed which exhibitions it was better to take part in. It chose the Khimia 2020 exhibition, which had a good rating among industry shows. We organised a stand and invited companies to take part.
We hear only positive feedback about the effective work of companies at the stand. The companies have already received contacts, which will be working on them in the future. Participation in exhibitions is one of the most promising areas for promoting the products of companies and recognizing the region. We will promote this area further, in the format of regional stands.
Our Centre pays for the construction of a group stand and the registration fee for exhibitors, and solves all organisational issues. We have started a survey of our exhibitors. Feedback is only positive. Some links between companies have been broken due to the pandemic. New connections are being established at the exhibition. Exhibitors have high hopes for the contacts they have established during the exhibition. We will make a positive decision on our participation in the exhibition next year.
Polina Zhuravlyova – Director General of Functional Materials OOO (start-up of NWTTC)
We haven’t participated in the Khimia exhibition before. We took part in Interlakokraska at EXPOCENTRE this year as visitors. Our participation was supported by the Leningrad Region Industrial Development Centre, which called us to a group stand. The demand for raw materials in the chemical industry is very high. We are pleasantly surprised.
Thanks to the Centre, we have been able to participate in the exhibition. We are a start-up and we have no money for participation. The Centre has solved all organisational issues. This has saved us time. We feel that Centre backs us. It gives us confidence and relaxes our participation.
We produce additives for the paint and plastics industry. Our products generate serious interest among visitors. Today, most of these additives are imported on the market. We are engaged in import substitution. Our additives are much cheaper and not worse in quality. We have got acquainted with a large serious company. We are very satisfied.
Valery Baru – Development Director of DONAU Lab Moscow
We have already taken part in the Khimia exhibition. Khimia is a landmark event. Industry’s professionals come, first and foremost, to Khimia. We have things to show. We tell our customers about new partners. We have fewer visitors, but we have them. Customers with specific needs come to the stand and we satisfy them. Our partner is the Swiss company Metro. At our stand, we have a new generator. The company has opened a representative office, and we are actively working with it directly. We tell our customers about this. Our partner company WELSCH is a German manufacturer of vacuum pumps. This is an interesting topic for the chemical market. We also love our old partners. We have decided to increase our stand area for the next year.
Vladimir Burd – Director of Domanovsky Production and Trade Plant
This is not the first year we have participated in the exhibition. For us, this is a new market. We have encountered difficulties in crossing the state border. But we came to the exhibition, showing perseverance. For us, this is a very interesting exhibition. There are a lot of informative things. There are serious developments. We are also interested in the Neftegaz exhibition. Participation in Khimia is a big plus for us. We managed to conclude a contract with a very large firm. We came to the exhibition for our company’s development.