- 123 start-ups from 24 countries met at the first two-day Industry Business Speed Dating of the Chemical Industry.
- Record attendance: 430 participants and more than 1,000 online partnering conversations
- 43 nations from all over the world represented: Participants from Australia to Venezuela, from Japan to South Africa, from Chile, to Morocco, from the USA to Thailand, and of course Europe.
- The 5th European Chemistry Partnering will take place from February 24 to 26, 2021 – again as a digital and now three-day event.
After the official welcome by ECP initiator Dr. Holger Bengs, Dr. Daniel Teichmann, founder and CEO of Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, gave fascinating insights into scientific and business aspects of the successful implementation of the novel hydrogen technology. In his keynote speech he described how sustainable alternatives to the oil-based economy can be developed thanks to a successful interaction of science, investors and companies.
In the panel "Sustainability: How does our financial ecosystem influence innovations in chemistry" Kristina Jeromin, Head of Group Sustainability of Deutsche Börse Group, Florian Theyermann from Fox Corporate Finance, Peter van Gelderen from Icos Capital and Frank-Andreas Hatzack from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies discussed the topic. They all agreed that sustainability is becoming a decisive criterion in the allocation of venture capital. It also became clear that despite all the major advances in the chemical industry, the development towards CO2 neutrality must continue. In addition, in view of the diversity of relevant technologies, uniform criteria for the evaluation of sustainability are needed.
Transparency and a holistic approach to the development of sustainability criteria and eco-labels were also identified as key levers in the workshop "Sustainability in the Coatings Industry" organized by ORONTEC together with partner companies. Without these, Ulf Stalmach of ORONTEC argued, end-customers will find it difficult to seriously evaluate sustainable processes.
In addition to keynote speeches, panels, workshops and the partnering discussions, participants were also able to make contacts in several thematic networking roomson issues like Circular Economy, Technology Transfer and Patents and IPO. Additionally, two flash sessions, the "virtual coffee machine" and “the escalator" provided informal meeting points. The virtual exhibition with company stands, which had already opened six days earlier, as well as the digital job exchange sponsored by BCNP Consultants GmbH offered further opportunities for networking.
"ECP is digital: the baptism of fire has been passed", says Dr. Holger Bengs, initiator of ECP, "Despite the Corona crisis: people from all continents met here to make the world a better place. We need innovations, and we need them fast, in view of climate change and our environmental and health challenges. The ECP is now firmly established, supported by the ECP foundation ipOcean – The Trust Network as a legally secure marketplace for the exchange of ideas and innovations. We stay confident, but in line with the situation, the 5th ECP in February 2021 will remain digital."
