The Plastics Technology Centre, AIMPLAS, is launching the AIMPLAS Challenge Forum, an international gathering of experts in plastics innovation focused on nine key sectors. Driven by the Sci2Market project and funded by the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i), the event will be held on June 19 and 20 in Valencia. It will bring together international experts, companies, universities, and research centres to discuss current challenges related to plastics and propose solutions to move toward a competitive and environmentally friendly industry.
Confirmed experts include Prof. Dr. Theofania Tsironi, a food packaging expert from the Agricultural University of Athens; Jose Antonio Alarcón, CEO of Iberian Global Business Solutions & collaborator at PET Europe, an expert in waste management and recovery; Prof. Dr. Joan Ramón Morante, director of the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), as a decarbonization expert; Ángel Lagraña, Learning Facilitator at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), who will speak as an expert in sustainable mobility; Prof. Pietro Picuno, an agriculture expert from the University of Basilicata in Italy; Louison Poudelet, head of R&D in 3D printing at Fundació CIM, an expert in additive manufacturing; and Benito Lauret, professor at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, as an expert in construction and sustainable energy.
Chemist and science communicator Deborah García (@deborahciencia) will host the keynote session on June 19.
The AIMPLAS Challenge Forum will address a variety of key sectors in the plastics industry, including:
- Sustainable chemistry, with innovations to improve quality of life through plastic materials.
- Food packaging, focusing on the use of plastics to enhance safety and preservation.
- Waste management and recovery.
- Eco-design and reuse strategies.
- Mobility, with plastic solutions to make it more sustainable and efficient.
- Construction, with plastic materials that help reduce pollution in the sector.
- Decarbonization, with strategies to reduce the carbon footprint through plastics.
- Agriculture and aquatic environments, with sustainable solutions for soil and water protection.
- Additive manufacturing applied to plastics.
Disruptive ideas and strategic alliances
Through keynote speeches and collaborative working sessions, the event will promote the creation of international consortia for the development of high-impact R&D projects. This event is not only an opportunity to learn about technological advances and trends in the plastics industry but also to connect with global leaders in the field, generate disruptive ideas, and establish strategic alliances that will boost the competitiveness and environmental commitment of the plastics sector.
Each topic will address different challenges based on those proposed during the 2024 co-creation workshops held as part of the Sci2Market project. Around 200 professionals from universities, companies, research centres, and hospitals within the Valencian Innovation System (SVI) participated in these nine workshops to identify the main needs of the plastics sector and propose innovative and sustainable solutions to current and future challenges.
The keynote session of the AIMPLAS Challenge Forum will take place on June 19 at the Cámara Valencia Business School, located in the Valencia Technology Park. Registration is open and can be completed via this link. On June 20, AIMPLAS will facilitate B2B meetings between international experts and participating universities and companies to explore collaborative R&D projects.