Cocoa Farming.

Crusoe Osagie

In response to the attendant challenges of evolving industrial landscapes in developing economies across the globe, the Pollutec, 25th International Exhibition of Industrial and Environment Equipment, Technology and Services, will this year focus on structuring a sustainable eco-friendly industrial city.

According to the organisers of the event, Pollutec is focusing heavily on the cross sector theme of the sustainable city, amongst other initiatives, together with the related theme of sustainable industry, which will have a forum devoted to the eco-performance of processes and utilities associated with production.

The organisers, led by Managing Director of Promosalon Nigeria Mr. Akin Akinbola, who has sole rights to convene Nigerian participants for the event, disclosed that Pollutec 2012 will bring together 2,400 exhibitors.

These would be covering such sectors as water, air, energy, waste, soils, risks and analysis/measurement/monitoring and will present a unique array of eco-innovations on both the stands of the exhibitors and through its various awards and prizes.

They said that it would also host a varied conference programme focusing on key current concerns as well as staging high-level international meetings.

“We have decided to focus on the sustainable city throughout all the show’s sectors. A very high proportion of the eco-technologies on show at Pollutec will be related to the city and the major challenges associated with its essential evolution – reduction in its environmental footprint, reduced use of resources (materials and energy) and adaptation to climate change.

“This is reflected in, for example, energy efficiency solutions, smart grids, eco-mobility, renewables, energy recovery, the remediation of brown field sites, ecological engineering and, of course, solutions dedicated to the treatment of water and the management of waste as part of a circular economy,” they said.

They also disclosed that the event would pursue four main lines: the need to adapt the existing, eco-design and new uses, technological synergies and governance and integrated management aspects.

According to them, there will also be a Sustainable City Forum, which would allow a range of promising solutions to be presented as well as providing a platform for reports of successful applications in the field, whilst serving as a forum for exchanges and discussions with various experts and stakeholders, especially in the field of energy and smart urban grids.

“More than ever, Pollutec will stress its four major roles: information about the latest regulatory developments, many of which will have a major impact on techniques and processes; its role as a technology monitor, with, as always, the presentation of numerous eco-innovations that have just been launched on the market or that are about to be launched.

“Its role in highlighting research and the presentation of the grants and sources of finance that are available for eco-industries and, of course, its role as a sales facilitator that encourages relations between eco-enterprises in all countries,” they said. 

They explained that the show’s various themed spaces would allow every individual to update his or her knowledge in a variety of fields: satellite applications, air quality, energy and energy efficiency, risks and environmental management, recycling and exploitation, sites and soils.

These would also allow them work without trenches, corporate environmental responsibility, integration, and, for the first time, the sustainable city and sustainable industry.

“Once again, several competitiveness clusters are expected including the fourteen making up the French Ecotech network. What is more, for the third year in a row Pollutec is focusing on the latest advances in research in various green sectors, together with recognised research organisations as well as banks and other institutions offering guidance and support for eco-innovation,” they said.

They also stated that alongside satellite applications, supercritical fluids, photocatalysis, hydrogen and fuel cells, other crucial themes that would be very much to the fore this year include heat recovery, the mechanical-biological sorting of organic waste solid and recovered solid fuels (rsc).

Finally, building on the successes of past shows, Pollutec organisers said they would again host a series of international business meetings this year including LeCleantech (presentations by start-ups from all around the world of projects and innovations) and b2fair (international business meetings).

The 2012 show will also feature a strong African presence, as well as Asian, North American and Latin American contingents.