Post Show Report Khimia 2021

The Khimia International Exhibition is Russia’s largest chemical trade show with over 50 years of history. Over all these years, it has retained its prestige and importance for the chemical community and all sectors of economy which depend on the chemical technology, materials and products. 

Against all odds, Khimia took place for the 24^th time. Despite the current circumstances, which were made more difficult by the lockdown, the importance of the show was not diminished. On the contrary, every minute of it was more important. The organisers prepared a lot of interesting formats for work and networking and did their best to ensure that the exhibition was as beneficial as possible for its exhibitors and visitors.

Dates: 25–27 October 2021

Venue: EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds, Moscow, Russia

Organised by EXPOCENTRE AO

Supported by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Chemists Union, NIITEKHIM OAO, the Chimvest Scientific and Technical Centre, the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society, the Chemistry Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia

Under auspices of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Exhibitors: 211 exhibitors

Countries: 12 (Belarus, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK)

Foreign participants: ASOS (Turkey), Aumund Fordertechnik GmbH (Germany),  Belneftehim-Ros (Belarus), Rotex (the UK), Preci Co Ltd. (Japan), SOLEX Thermal  Science Inc. (Canada), etc. 

Russian participants: Alliance Energy, Bashkir Soda Company, Gamma Plast, KuibyshevAzot, Melytec, Reatex, Reatorg, Roskhimreactiv, Samson Controls, PhosAgro, Chimmed, Energomash, etc.

National pavilions: Belarus, Germany

Types of products on display: raw materials for the chemical, petrochemical, food, medical and construction industries, agrochemistry, oil and gas chemistry, specialty and green chemistry, analytical, laboratory, industrial pumping and compressor equipment, polymeric materials, the latest technologies and scientific developments, automation and digitalization of production, chemical synthesis products, fuels, reagents, catalysts, chemical fibers, composite materials, fiberglass, equipment for transporting chemical and petrochemical products, and solutions for improving the environmental safety of chemical production   

The official opening ceremony of Khimia 2021 and the 9^th Moscow International Chemical Forum was attended by President of the Russian Chemists Union Viktor Ivanov, Vice-President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dmitry Kurochkin, President of the Russian Union of Oil and Gas Producers Genady Shmal, Deputy Director of the Department of the Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering Technologies of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade Pavel Filatkin, Acting Rector of the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia Ilya Vorotyntsev, and Director General of EXPOCENTRE AO Alexey Vyalkin.

The speakers pointed out that the first and oldest international exhibition in our country has been held at all times. The Russian chemical industry is developing, and the exhibition is keeping pace with it. A lot has been done in the field of chemistry and petrochemistry in the recent years. Graduates from higher education institutions will be able to obtain good work and salaries in Russian companies in the chemical industry.

Alexey Vyalkin thanked the audience for choosing EXPOCENTRE as a platform to address industry issues, and all exhibitors for being understanding of the rescheduling of the event. Watch the opening ceremony>>.

Show highlights

Manufacturers from Russia's Kaluga, Kirov, Leningrad, Tula, Yaroslavl oblasts, and Stavropol Krai participated in the exhibition with assistance of their regional business support centres and state support measures. Thanks to these initiatives they had a great opportunity to present their products at the highest international level, which helped them to find new partners, sign deals, and expand to new markets.

Three Stavropol companies presented their products at their regional group stand, which was organised by the export centre of the regional fund of business support. ElitService displayed products from the Stavropol Plant of Polymer Stabilisers, which is the largest producer of polyvinyl chloride stabilisers in Russia. ArielKursiv and Stavropol Chemical Company also presented their products. The Stavropol exhibitors took part in the exhibition's extensive conference programme.

Five exhibitors presented their products at the Leningrad oblast's stand. This year, ArcticTex, which participated in the exhibition as part of the group stand for the second time, presented clothes with a heating function. Textile fabrics made of electrically conductive yarns are used to create workwear, sportswear and everyday winter clothing. The Functional Materials trading house presented the development of a flame retardant liquid. BM-Service, which produces plastic containers and packaging for food, cosmetic, chemical and pharmaceutical products, held over 40 negotiations with representatives of Russian companies, and also from Belarus and Kazakhstan, at the exhibition. Manufacturer of polymer resins ATTIKA presented its product line. OxyLab, which specialises in the manufacture and sale of modified concentrates, found a distributor for its products, and established contacts with BASF, a major manufacturer of poured flooring. 

Two companies of the Yaroslavl oblast – Khimbiotekh and Khimprominzhiniring – presented their products with the support of the regional Export Centre. Khimprominzhiniring provided consultations regarding modernisation of production lines, creation of non-standard equipment and execution of design and survey works for technical re-equipping and organisation of new shops and areas. Khimbiotekh presented its own developments in the field of filtration equipment and opportunities for research work.

Participants of other group stands also demonstrated interesting solutions and products.  

Innovative scientific developments were presented by leading research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Russian universities such as the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, the Tomsk State University, the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, the Emanuel Russian Institute of Biochemical Physics, the Osipyan Institute of Solid State Physics, MIREA – the Russian Technological University, the Tver State University, and others. Their production sites develop new technologies and train staff for the chemical industry.

Startup Chemzone, a project aimed to support small and medium-sized companies, focused on their promising developments.  

Small innovative companies showcased their developments to a wide range of potential investors and major market players. Nine companies presented their projects in the start-up zone: Brand-Engineering and Brand-RT (Moscow) with equipment for industrial cleaning with high pressure using micro-hydro impact effect, Koiper Technologies (Moscow) with production of perfluoropolyether (PFPE), Dyes ECORD (Nizhniy Novgorod) with production, selection and delivery of dyes for technological fluids, Laser Scanning of Materials (Moscow) with materials analysis by nature of refraction of laser beams with different wavelength, Luminophores (Moscow) and MGD Reactor (Moscow) with design and manufacture of equipment for flow-through synthesis, UPP (Verkhny Ufaley) with its own technology for production of high quality synthetic iron oxide pigment, and Pharmprint (Moscow) with development and production of automated fluid dosing systems.

The Employment Centre's specialists placed exhibitor's vacancies at its stand, showed CVs of jobseekers, helped to find the right employee, and provided professional advice about the state of the labour market.

Conference programme

The key event of Khimia 2021 was the 9^th Moscow International Chemical Forum, organised by EXPOCENTRE AO and the Russian Chemists Union. It consisted of 20 events with representatives of leading companies of the chemical industry, relevant ministries, industry associations, researchers and experts.  

The first event was the Panel on the Chemical Industry in Russia’s Regions: the State and Prospects. It was organised by EXPOCENTRE AO, NIITEKHIM OAO and the Russian Chemists Union. Despite the changed time of the event, the discussion attracted quite a lot of participants from different parts of Russia, both offline and online.

The event’s moderator, Deputy Executive Director of the Russian Chemists Union Leonid Freiman, noted that the chemical industry served as one of the drivers for the development of the entire Russian industry.

Scientific Secretary of NIITEKHIM OAO Valentina Gavrilenko noted the outstripping growth in chemical production (especially plastics) in the Russian Central Federal District, up 50% last year, which was significantly higher than in the Volga Federal District, which remained the leader in terms of production volumes.

The discussion was continued by Dmitry Ogorodtsev, Director General of Okapol, Dzerzhinsk, who heads the Dzerzhinskkhimregion Association. He gave convincing examples of building public-private partnerships at the city level.

The panel was also attended by Alina Rybina, Deputy General Director of Titan Group, member of the Expert Council of the Russian Ecological Movement, Nadezhda Zueva, representative of the Investment Development Agency of Novosibirsk Region, as well as representatives of the Moscow Industrial Development Agency and the Association of Clusters and Technoparks of Russia.

The forum’s second day was opened by the Strategic Session on the Competitiveness of the Russian Chemical Industry in the New Economic Reality. The session was moderated by President of the Russian Chemists Union Viktor Ivanov. Alexey Krupsky, Deputy Head of the Chemical Industry Department at the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, spoke about the state of the industry, state support and further development plans. The representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the chemical industry was demonstrating positive dynamics, and its share in the main economic indicators of our country was growing.

The audience was also interested in a presentation by Lyubov Rozhkova, Managing Director of Accenture Strategy in Russia and Kazakhstan, dedicated to analysis of key trends in the chemical industry, and Director General at the VladVneshServis analytics agency Zhanna Martynova, who spoke about foreign trade of chemical products and promising niches for export and import. Director General of the Association of Plastic Processors Petr Bazunov made the final presentation of the session. The head of the association said that proposals to reduce the use of polymers in the household were not promising and pointed out the importance of widespread implementation of the separate waste collection system in Russia to solve environmental problems related to the consumption of polymers. 

Another important event was the Panel on Relevant Issues in the Regulation of Chemical Products in the Russian Federation, organised by EXPOCENTRE AO, the Coordination and Information Center of the CIS Member States, and the Russian Chemists Union with participation with the Environmental Industrial Policy Center. Its participants discussed technical regulation, including preparations for the implementation of the EEU technical regulation on the safety of chemical products, new standards for hazard classification, warning labels and safety data sheets for chemical products, as well as industry trends in the context of the climate change agenda. 

The Strategic Session on Specialty Chemicals: Import Substitution and Development was organised by EXPOCENTRE AO, the Roshimreaktiv Association, and the Russian Chemists Union. The event was timed to coincide with the 20^th anniversary of the Roshimreaktiv Association, which brings together about 65 companies in the specialty chemicals segment of the industry. According to the session's moderator, Executive Director at the Roshimreaktiv Association and Vice President of the Russian Chemists Union Irina Vendilo, the unique experience of companies engaged in production of raw materials, which develop more complex components from their raw materials and offer them to Russian producers of specialty chemicals, is becoming increasingly important in the context of growing interest in these chemicals. President of the Russian Chemists Union Viktor Ivanov supported the discussion. He spoke about the role of the Roshimreaktiv Association in the development of specialty chemistry in Russia. Mikhail Sutyaginsky, Chair of the Board of Directors of Titan Group and Chair of the Chemical Industry Committee of the Business Russia Public Organisation, who spoke at the session, noted in his address that development of specialty chemical production had become an issue of strategic importance.   Representatives of interested companies, specialised universities and scientific centres took active part in discussion of prospects of further development of specialty chemistry.

The Panel on (Un)scary Chemistry: How to Combat Chemophobia and Popularise Chemistry was organised by the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. The discussion participants included Head of Science Communication  at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia Georgy Shakhgildyan, Director of the Children's Technopark "Mendeleev Center" Daria Martyukhova, Director of the Academic Development Center of the Higher School of Economics Andrey Kozhanov, Press Secretary of the Chemistry Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University Sergey Ivashko, Head of the Research Laboratories Department of the Polytechnic Museum Vera Gribanova, and research fellow at the Skolkovo University of Science and Technology and author of the A Little About Science YouTube channel Ivan Merenkov. 

EXPOCENTRE AO and the Roshimreaktiv Association hold the 9^th Conference on the Modern Technologies for Water Treatment, and Corrosion and Scale Prevention.

The final events of the second day were the Panel the 2020-2021 Paint and Coatings Industry Outcomes and a re-election meeting of the Centrlack Association of Manufacturers, Suppliers and Consumers of Paints & Varnishes and Raw Materials for Their Production.

The third day of the exhibition was the busiest.

The current situation on the market of the chemical industry for the agricultural sector, growing sales areas, controlling the circulation of pesticides and agrochemicals, and other relevant issues were the subject of discussion at the Session on the Chemistry for Farmers at the Moscow International Chemical Forum. It was organised by EXPOCENTRE AO and the Russian Chemists Union. The session was moderated by First Vice President of the Russian Chemists Union Maria Ivanova. Opening the session, she noted that safe food cannot exist without safe agrochemicals. The topic of chemistry for the agricultural sector is therefore of particular relevance. Reports were presented by Deputy Head of the Department of Internal Phytosanitary and Land Supervision, Quality Control and Grain Safety of the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) Nadezhda Pavlova, Director of the Accelerator Mendeleev at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia Aleksandr Maslennikov, industry experts and representatives of manufacturing companies. The report on PhosAgro: No.1 in Green Fertiliser Production was made by Deputy Chief of Staff to the Director General of PhosAgro PAO Boris Levin. 

The Session on Decarbonisation Tools for the Chemical Industry was held in parallel. ESG leaders in Russia – Sibur, PhosAgro, Uralchem – presented their real initiatives and most effective tools to reduce carbon footprint. The Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas presented in-depth analysis and proposals for low-carbon fuels. Sberbank of Russia presented an overview of the latest financial instruments. 

EXPOCENTRE AO organised the Panel on the International Trade in Chemical Products. Exports and Imports: Present and Future in partnership with the Association of Exporters and Importers. The panel participants discussed the specifics of foreign trade contracts in the chemical industry, cases of state support for exports, and examined in detail the issues of cooperation in trade in chemical goods with some countries (Indonesia and Iran). 

The important Session on Implementing Changes in Accreditation in Laboratories was organised by EXPOCENTRE AO, the Roshimreaktiv Association and the Russian Chemists Union.  

There were also the Panel on the Efficient Industry.  Development Trends in the Chemical Industry, the Lean Manufacturing Championship, the 3^rd International Tank Container Forum, and the finals of the MUCTR Innovator Competition (a pitch session on innovative projects in eco-technology and sustainable development).

The General Assembly of the Russian Chemists Union concluded the Moscow International Chemical Forum. Its participants included Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dmitry Kurochkin, Chair of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Committee for Entrepreneurship in the Textile and Garment Industry and President of Souzlegprom – the Russian Union of Textile Industry Enterprises Andrey Razbrodin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Viktor Cherepov, Deputy Director of the Department of the Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering Technologies of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade Pavel Filatkin, and Chair of the  председатель of the Russian Chemical Workers Union Aleksandr Sitnov.

An award ceremony of the Five Stars. Chemical Industry Leaders Competition was a separate block of the annual meeting.

Online events on 28 and 29 October were  

• the International Conference on Self-regulation Practices in the Implementation of Sustainable Development in Chemical Enterprises

• the Scientific Workshop on Innovative Developments in Modern Nanochemistry

• the 3^rd CORRUSCHEM International Conference: Modern Corrosion Prevention Technologies in the Chemical and Petrochemical Industries

• Совместное открытое заседание the Professional Skills Council for the Chemical and Biotechnology Sector and the Chemical Industry Committee of the Business Russia Public Organisation

You can learn more about the conference programme of Khimia 2021 at https://www.chemistry-expo.ru/ru/events/.

There are video stories about Khimia 2021, including interviews with the exhibitors, visitors and opinion leaders, as well as videos of the stands. You can see them in the exhibition’s official YouTube channel.

Visitor and exhibitor feedback

Boris Levin, Deputy Chief of Staff for Director General of PhosAgro

“PhosAgro participates in all Khimia exhibitions. And in the year of the company's 20^th anniversary, we could not miss it. The exhibition has taken place and is running very intensively, with a busy conference programme. There is an opportunity to communicate directly without screens and remote communication, to discuss topical issues. We are always happy to participate in Khimia and support the efforts of the organisers to ensure that it is as high level as ever.”

Thomas Stenzel, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Moscow

“Our company came to the exhibition for the first time 58 years ago. Thus the two companies, EXPOCENTRE and Messe Düsseldorf, met. Khimia is an important event for the Russian industry. The slogan Peace – Friendship – Freundschaft was the origin of Khimia. The chemistry industry is important for the future of Russia. Thank you for opening and holding the exhibition at this difficult time.”

Vladimir Gorkovsky, Projects Head at Quadra Logic AO

“It is the first time that we take part in an event of this scale, such as Khimia 2021. We have a pleasant impression of the event. We have already managed to get some leads in the areas we are presenting here. The work is in full swing. There are a lot of visitors, including those from Russian regions.”

Olga Maskalyuk, Executive Director at T&T CARBON

“It is the second time we have participated in Khimia as part of the Leningrad region's stand. The most important thing is to exchange opinions, find customers and new suppliers of raw materials. Last year we showed only the beginning of our developments. These were heating elements based on fabrics of flexible structures. Today we are already showing products with these materials, which were tested this summer. We have established contacts with a major supplier. And, of course, the circle of networking, connections and contacts has expanded. Khimia is an opportunity for us to show our growth. With each exhibition we expand our range of products and new working contacts.”

Anna Yakovleva, Head of Sales Department at ECROSKHIM

“We are very pleased that the Khimia exhibition has taken place. There were many visitors from different cities. The exhibition is a good way to showcase new products, meet old customers and find new ones. Khimia is perfectly suited for this. We are very proud that for the first time we are able to exhibit our new XRF analyzers, spectrometers and fractometers. They are one of a kind made in Russia and have no competitors in terms of price/quality ratio. We would like to thank all participants and organisers for making the exhibition possible.”

Yuri Litvinov, Assistant Head of the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology

“The exhibition is growing, and we are growing with it. It's a great opportunity to present our institute, our progress and products, to gain important new contacts, and to grow and progress together.”

Evgeniy Makhov, Deputy Director General for Commercial Activity at NORCHEM

“Khimia 2021 highlighted the importance and necessity of meetings with partners and showed how valuable the communication between supplier and consumer is. The exhibition is short. But this in no way diminishes its value; on the contrary, it emphasises the importance of every minute of being there. NORCHEM is a regular exhibitor at the trade show and invites everyone to visit its stand next year as well. We are happy to meet you and wish you fruitful contacts, not only now, but also in the future.”

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 25^th edition of the Khimia International Exhibition at EXPOCENTRE Fairgrounds on 31 October – 3 November 2022. 

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Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO