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Special Report                                                                                                                                                                   Special Report


       Nowicki, Chairman of the  Achema  Miertz, Member of the Executive  facilities,  still need to  be developed,   frameworks, and giving the industry   “Climate neutrality and digitali-  international  exhibitors,  this  year’s
       Committee and CEO of Linde Engi-  Board of Samson AG, and Dr. Fritzi  scaled, and implemented. At the same    the opportunity and trust to discover  zation require a massive transforma-  edition was the most international of
       neering.                          Köhler-Geib, Chief Economist of the  time, many of our products are essential   the best technologies and methods to  tion and large investments across all  all time, he said.
                                         KfW Group, critically examined  for the  transformation.  Therefore,  we    achieve the common goals.         sectors, but they also present great
       Challenges for the process industry  exemplary challenges and discussed  emphasize innovation and  recognize                                    opportunities for future growth and   The Achema congress programme
          In his welcome address, Dr. Klaus  possible solutions.          that a forward-looking process industry       Mr. Miertz noted that the future of  employment,” emphasized Dr. Köhler-  featured over 900 lectures, discus-
       Schäfer, Chairman of DECHEMA                                       is key to the success of this transforma-  the process industry will be strongly  Geib. “In Europe, despite challenges  sion panels and workshops with more
       e.V., and former CTO of Covestro    “The transformation of the chemi-  tion,” observed Ms. Schlenz.           infl uenced by innovations in the areas  we are in a good position due to our  than 30,000 listeners. In the congress
       mentioned the challenges the process  cal industry  toward carbon neutrality                                  of digitalization, sustainability and  strong innovative capacity.  We need  programme, the hydrogen topics as
       industry is facing: increasing instabi-  is a multifaceted and complex process.   At  the  same  time,  she  argued  in   effi ciency. The use of artifi cial intel-  to build on this,” she stated.  well as lectures on electrifi cation and
       lity and, in some cases, protectionist  Many of the necessary technologies and  favour of remaining open to tech-  ligence will be crucial here.  These                           fl exibilisation  met  with  particularly
       tendencies in trade policy, the shift  solutions to transform our production  nology, setting targeted regulatory   technologies can help to increase  ‘Most international event’  great interest. In addition, the lectures
       towards greater sustainability, the                                                                           effi ciency, reduce errors and improve   Dr. Björn Mathes, CEO of the  on pharma and life sciences as well as
       development of the hydrogen economy                                                                           product quality. “Overall, we are confi -  event organiser, DECHEMA  Aus-  on digitalisation were among the best
       and the endeavour to secure raw                                                                               dent that these developments will  stellungs-GmbH, said, “This Achema  attended.
       materials.                                                                                                    enable the process industry to utilize  gives the industry an impulse that
                                                                                                                     new opportunities and possibilities to  will remain trend-setting for the com-  The next Achema will take place
          According to Dr. Schäfer these                                                                             develop and grow,” he added.      ing years.” With a 63 percent share of  in Frankfurt from 14 to 18 June 2027.
       developments touch on deep-rooted
       certainties and lead to a ‘duck to cover’                                                                     Textile recycling company re.solution wins ACHEMA
       reaction, in which we hide behind
       established – if outdated – technolo-                                                                         Start-up Award 2024
       gies and close borders – also the bor-
       ders of the mind. “For our disciplines,                                                                          For the fourth time, DECHEMA,  lower carbon footprint while consum-  even from sources that could previ-
       ‘duck and cover’ has never been an                                                                            High-Tech Gründerfonds and Busi-  ing less chemicals and water in com-  ously only be used with additional
       option – innovation and thinking be-                                                                          ness Angels  FrankfurtRheinMain  parison with similar technologies. It is   purifi cation stages.
       yond limits is in our DNA,” he stated.                                                                        were looking for entrepreneurial sci-  further designed to overcome textile-  4.   eco:fi br  has  developed  an  extrac-
                                                                                                                     entists  and  founders  with  an  affi nity  specifi c  recycling  challenges  like  the   tion process with which pulp for the
          The upcoming hydrogen economy,                                                                             for technology. The fact that start-ups  recycling  of  fi bre  blends  and  the  re-  paper and cardboard industry can
       new concepts for energy genera-                                                                               are now an integral part of the pro-  moval of impurities. Due to its robust-  be obtained from pineapple plant
       tion, use and storage, or the vision   Credit: ACHEMA                                                         cess industry was demonstrated not  ness and  a  high  product quality, the   residues.
       of a circular economy, he stated, re-                                                                         only by the number and quality of the  process is economically competitive  5.   Graph-Co offers the digitization
       quire even closer interactions and                                                                            applications, but also by the range of  compared to polyester’s fossil route.   and  migration  of  technical  fl ow
       joint ideas for our economic system.                                                                          innovations on which the start-ups  The long-term ambition is to deve-  charts for the process industry un-
       “Despite all the challenges we are                                                                            are based.                        lop and operate plants at an industrial   der the brand name Graph-ID.
       currently facing, we have to fi nd new                                                                                                           scale.                            6.   Inline Process Solutions GmbH
       ways for international cooperation.                                                                              re.solution  – a start-up founded                                   analyses particle fl ows in plants in-
       It has to be based on trust, it has to be                                                                     at RWTH Aachen University in 2023    Other companies in the running for   line, with the help of image-optical
       fair and it requires commonly accepted                                                                        that recycles textiles containing poly-  the award were:               AI-based sensor technology.
       goals. Fairness also implies level                                                                            ester using a chemical process with  1.   Biosimo  AG  wants to drive the   7.   LABMaiTE GmbH fully automa-
       playing  fi elds  in  terms  of  regulatory                                                                    renewable energy and low water and   transformation of  the chemical  in-  tically optimises the culture media
       and policy frameworks; setting com-                                                                           chemical consumption – was declared   dustry towards greater  sustainabi-  for  fermentative bioprocesses and
       mon goals implies that we are aware                                                                           the winner of the ‘ACHEMA Start-up   lity with  basic  chemicals made   thus accelerates their development.
       of  confl icting  interests  and  try  to                                                                      Award 2024.’                         from renewable raw materials.  8.   Nanolope offers versatile heat stor-
       actively manage them.”                                                                                                                          2.   ChemInnovation has developed the   age solutions based on a phase
                                                                                                                        With their innovation and busi-   AI  model, METIS. It enables the   change material.
       ‘Carbon neutrality a multi-faceted                                                                            ness plan, the Aachen-based founders   automated structural elucidation of   9.   PHABIOC  develops  innovative
       and complex process’                                                                                          prevailed against nine other fi nalists.  unknown molecules based on mass   tools, microplates and analysers for
          In a panel discussion Ms. Julia                                                                                                                 spectra.                          screening on a small scale and with
       Schlenz, President of Dow Germany,                                                                               The proprietary process runs on  3.   co2ol Catalyst uses a robust catalyst   a high throughput rate in pharma-
       Austria and Switzerland, Mr. Marcus   Credit: ACHEMA                                                          renewable energy and thus achieves a   to produce  methanol  from CO  –   ceuticals and biotechnology.
                                                                                                                                                                                    2

       172                                                                       Chemical Weekly  July 2, 2024       Chemical Weekly  July 2, 2024                                                                   173


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