The need for small and medium enterprises to make us of accessible opportunities in the field of plastics was stressed, at a two-day conference in Muscat.

The Polyolefin Plastics Arabia Conference held under the patronage of Mohammed bin Salim Al Toobi, Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs and co-organised and produced by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), concluded yesterday at Al Bustan Palace.

The event presented a highly-interactive technical platform on the science and materials of polyolefins, with presentations on new developments in the field of plastics technology.

Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO, PEIE, said: "Countries around the globe invest billions of dollars in this industry, as it is closely linked to other basic industries including oil refineries and petrochemical industries.

"Accordingly, PEIE in cooperation with SPE is organising this important event of Polyolefin Plastics Arabia Conference as an initiative to spur the downstream industries for Polyolefin in the Sultanate, and to promote and empower high potential opportunities to contribute to the growth of the Omani industries, based on sustained socioeconomic development, which would eventually enable Omani entrepreneurs and Omani youth to be involved actively in laying the foundations for a strong Omani SMI, that utilises knowledge, innovation and R&D as main drivers," Al Hasani pointed out.

Jon Ratzlaff, new president of SPE, said: "One of the benefits of attending this global conference is exposure to networking with members from around the globe. Face to face networking is unparalleled and can lead to countless opportunities. SPE has plans to integrate a social networking system into our website that will allow each member to choose the groups thatinterest them and find other members with the same interests. SPE’s social networking system will be focused on the plastics industry and is planned to offer the SPE member specific choices of networking within the industry."  

Ratzlaff pointed out that similar conferences are being planned in Lyon, Frace, in July and in Shanghai and Dubai in January 2014. He also introduced the SPE Global Plastics Application and Design Competition which will be held at ANTEC 2014 in Las Vegas.

The conference featured several experts from leading local, regional and international organisations across the plastics industry,who presented latest updates and outlooks for the industry, and delivered practical and impactful information to the attendees. - TradeArabia News Service