The 27th ACHEMA will take place in Frankfurt am Main from 19–24 May 2003. This International Exhibition-Congress on Chemical Engineering, Environmental Protection and Biotechnology is an important international event for all branches of the process industries. Experts and decision-makers can find a significant concentration of specific equipment, technologies and solutions for the chemical and petrochemical industries, the pharmaceutical and food industries and related sectors. Around 4000 exhibitors and more than 200,000 visitors from all over the world are expected at ACHEMA 2003. To date as much as 94% of the net exhibition space of ACHEMA 2000 has already been spoken for. Currently the highest demand for space is in the exhibition groups Pumps, Compressors, Valves and Fittings, Laboratory and Analysis Techniques, Pharmaceutical, Packaging and Storage Techniques, Mechanical and Thermal Processes, and Instrumentation, Control and Automation Techniques. However, the expanded Frankfurt exhibition grounds offer excellent potential for new exhibitors to participate. With the new Hall 3 and the new Forum the exhibition grounds have not only expanded quantitatively, but have been significantly upgraded qualitatively in time for ACHEMA 2003. This necessitated a restructuring of the exhibition groups and created a welcome opportunity to bring related exhibition groups closer together; this, in turn, will enhance visitor-friendliness. Moreover the new hall configuration provides leeway for expansion for all the exhibition groups. Special emphasis will be given to environmental protection and biotechnological equipment The topics of the congress are oriented on the exhibition groups, supplemented by “hot” themes focusing on new developments (e.g. chemical nanotechnology, fine and speciality chemicals, particle technology, green and sustainable chemistry, food technology, supply chain management, water technologies, material and energy flow analysis, management of chemistry parks, fuel cell plants, etc.
