The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has announced that the 10th edition of PlastiCon and the 6th edition of GPCA Research and Innovation (R&I) Summit will be held under the patronage of  Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil, Bahrain, at ART Rotana, Amwaj Islands, Bahrain from March 11 to 12 and March 13 to 14, respectively.

Al Sadoun: focusing on cutting-edge developments

The week-long activities will kick off with PlastiCon which will address the theme of ‘Innovative Plastic Designs: Sustainability for Future Generations.’ In light of new research, experts estimate that integrating recycled plastics into the chemical value chain could create a profit pool of $55 billion a year worldwide by 2030. To address this trend, PlastiCon will discuss the circular economy in plastics in the GCC and globally and provide an update on the recycling landscape in the region. The opening address will be presented by Ahmed Omar Abdulla, CEO, Borouge, and chairman, GPCA Plastics Committee, while the keynote address will be delivered by Dr Maurits van Tol, SVP, Innovation and Technology, Borealis. Other distinguished speakers include Dave Andrew, VP, Sustainability, ExxonMobil; Lorraine Francourt, EHS director, Chemicals Management and Circular Economy, Dow Chemicals, and Dr Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan, GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, Sabic, who will deliver day two’s opening address.

The changing nature of R&I in the digital age will be the focus of the R&I Summit, which will begin with an opening address by Dr Moayyed Al-Qurtas, chairman, GPCA R&I Committee, and continue with a keynote address by Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, SVP Downstream, Saudi Aramco.

Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, commented: “The crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) technology has the potential to reshape the global petrochemical industry and fundamentally change the dynamics of global competition in the years to come. At the same time, by 2030 digitalisation is expected to increase annual margin potential in the global chemical industry by more than $1.8 trillion. These and other cutting-edge developments will be discussed during the R&I Summit, while PlastiCon will assess the role of sustainability in the global plastics industry, as well as the future of plastics packaging and design.”