TEHRAN, Iran—German plastics and rubber machinery association VDMA staged its first technical conference, combined with a parallel B2B meeting, in Tehran.
More than 500 participants from all parts of Iran joined in the event, which took place from Dec. 7-8. Most delegates were from the plastics and rubber processing sector, though local resin producers as well as branch associations also took part.
The speakers mainly represented manufacturers of injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, foaming as well as peripheral machinery and equipment.
The event was opened by Ulrich Reifenhauser—the association's chairman—and Michael von Ungern-Sternberg, the German ambassador to Iran.
Reifenhauser said the time is ripe to re-start German-Iranian relations in the field of plastics and rubber.
Statements on the situation in politics, industry as well as the plastics and rubber industries in Iran were given by representatives from the Iran Development & Renovation Organization, the Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Industries and Business and the Iran National Plastics & Polymer Association.
The event included workshops—automotive, construction, packaging, medical and peripheral, specialized equipment—in which VDMA members from Germany, Austria and France introduced solutions specifically related to those fields of applications.
According to the VDMA, Iranian visitors made intense use of the B2B match-making area to get in personal contact with German representatives, to build on existing relations, establish new ones and to discuss project ideas.