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EPCA 2019

SIBUR International takes part in EPCA annual meeting.


In October, the 53rd Annual Meeting of the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) was held in Berlin, Germany. The event welcomed over 2,500 delegates.

With over 700 members from 54 countries, EPCA is the primary European Business Network for the global petrochemical business community. EPCA regularly hosts industry events offering members all over the world an opportunity to stay abreast of market developments and technological trends.

This year, sustainability development was again in the spotlight, with a range of sessions dedicated to the topic. Marc Schuller, President of EPCA, had the opening word. In his speech, Mr Schuller reminded the delegates of the growing public concern over climate change and plastic waste, urging industry leaders to wake up to the need for transformation and catch up with the new reality.

According to experts, sustainable leadership benefits not only a company’s current, but also long-term reputation. Today, environmental responsibility becomes an intrinsic part of any company striving for leadership in the sector. Most participants saw digitalisation as another big opportunity. The conference featured a dedicated workshop session to explore correlations between digital transformation and sustainable development of a company.

Much of the focus lay on investing in infrastructure in Europe for strategic and sustainable supply chains. The participants discussed the current situation, touched on the major issues faced by the continent, and outlined future plans. The projected 30% increase in freight transportation by 2030 combined with the requirements of the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can become major issues on the agenda. The delegates called for more effective and closer cooperation between the major market players to address the industry challenges.

For SIBUR, attending the conference was not only about sharing best practices – it also helped foster customer relations. With five venues at the Berlin Marriott Hotel, SIBUR held more than 160 meetings with customers during the conference. As a result, the Company reached a number of agreements to enter into long-term contracts.

Professor Ann Vereecke (Vlerick Business School) and EPCA delegates brainstorming at the Digital Café.

According to experts, sustainable leadership benefits not only a company’s current, but also long-term reputation.

As part of the conference, SIBUR also hosted a client event for current and potential business partners at AXICA, a congress and convention centre. Pavel Lyakhovich, member of the Management Board and Managing Director at SIBUR, and Marat Avetisov, Sales Director of SIBUR's Plastics, Elastomers and Organic Synthesis Division, made a presentation about the Company’s implemented projects and development plans. Among other things, the speakers gave an overview of SIBUR’s key investment initiatives and provided an update on the progress at ZapSibNeftekhim, the production of DOTP, an eco-friendly plasticiser for the construction industry, and the Company’s priority projects for the next few years. They also talked about the construction of a maleic anhydride (MAN) production facility in Tobolsk (MAN is a basic monomer, and its products are used in almost all industries) and the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (GCC) which will be technologically connected with Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP) that is currently under construction.

Pavel Lyakhovich and Marat Avetisov talking about SIBUR’s projects and plans

Today, environmental responsibility becomes an intrinsic part of any company striving for leadership in the sector.

Andrey Frolov,
CEO of SIBUR International GmbH, commented:

“SIBUR has been participating in the EPCA conference for many years. It is a leading global petrochemicals platform to discuss market developments, industry goals and challenges, and important trends. Sustainable development remains the main – but not the only – topic of discussion. I believe in the years to come we will see the agenda and the format of the conference increasingly shaped by the industry digitalisation progress, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, supply chain development, product solutions and substitute products. SIBUR remains focused on these topics too, consistently adjusting its operations to address the latest challenges of the external environment. In addition to professional networking, SIBUR organised a now traditional evening event that provided an opportunity for informal communication. During the event, SIBUR held a number of individual talks with conference participants. We hope all agreements we reached during the meeting will be mutually beneficial to our partners and SIBUR.”

Photos from SIBUR's client event on the sidelines of EPCA.

epca conferences Pavel Lyakhovich Marat Avetisov Andrey Frolov

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