K 2013: Plastics move the world

Incredibly versatile, lightweight, safe, durable, economic and impressively energy-efficient – with their multitude of positive properties, polymers are indispensible in most areas of our daily lives. And the material’s success story is far from over, as it moves into new areas of application all the time. Plastics move our lives in more ways then one, both in the figurative and the literal sense.

About 3,100 exhibitors will document this enormous potential at the K 2013, the largest international trade show for plastics and rubber, which starts on 16 October and ends on 23 October in Düsseldorf/Germany. Selected exhibits will also be presented at a special show with the title “Plastics move the world”. They illustrate the many improvements already attributed to plastic products today and their potential contribution to future challenges, e.g. by protecting global resources in the future.

The special show in hall 6 takes a broad approach to the meaning of the word “to move”. It includes not merely the direct contributions of plastics to different areas of mobility, but also emotional aspects, e.g. their effect on art and design, and their potential for solving future problems such as demographic growth, increasing energy consumption and climate change. As usual, the special show will be hosted in a special area which provides a combination of information, interaction and show elements.

The focus will be on five topical areas which represent the vast applications and properties of polymer materials.  The motto “Plastics move – people” for example focuses on personal mobility with the help of cars, trains, public transport and aircraft as well as on the mobility of the disabled, who benefit from the ongoing advancement of modern aids. The sustainability of plastic products is taken into account by all topical areas.

Emotional aspects are also considered. Polymer materials often move people in sports or art – in both categories the show presents surprising examples of the potential of plastics. This also concerns competitive sports, sports for the disabled and leisure sports. Without polymer materials, modern design would not be possible. These materials can be found in theatres and museums as well as in architecture.

Innovations and visionary developments are presented in the “Plastics move – the future“ section of the special show. This includes energy-efficient living as well as future medical applications, water treatment and the food supply for a growing global population. Polymer materials act as versatile troubleshooters in many areas of application.

In addition to presentations, the special show also features VIP lectures as well as daily discussion panels (except for Sunday and the last day of the exhibition) with experts from science and the industry. On the second day of the trade show, the first VIP, Bertrand PiccCAMPO