Almost two years ago, when the 1st PHA-platform World Congress was held in Cologne, there was some question as to whether PHA could generate enough interest to attract attendees. The organisers - bioplastics Magazine and Jan Ravenstijn, a leading expert on PHAs and other bio-based polymers, need not have worried: ultimately some 165 delegates attended the event, representing almost every developer, producer, compounder and user in the field of PHAs.
The success of the congress proved a trigger for further action. Four of the attendees subsequently crafted a proposal for a global PHA-platform industry association, which they presented to the congress delegates, and in June 2019, GO!PHA was officially founded.
A year on, the organisation has thrived, growing to represent a large share of the PHA manufacturers and various upstream and downstream stakeholders with a strong global presence. According to its recently published first Annual Report, its members include stakeholders from the industry and academia.
The organisation’s success mirrors the growth path of the PHA industry, say its founders.
“We are passing the embryonic stage and now aspire to embark on a phase of early growth,” they write.
The 2019-2020 report presents an overview of the platform’s activities over the past year and the objectives and challenges for the coming year.
Global developments are bringing bring new challenges and market opportunities for PHA and the members of the PHA-polymer platform. These will be highlighted in more detail during a webinar on 2 September. As physical gatherings have been ruled out by COVID-19 outbreak, the 2nd PHA-platform World Congress has been postponed. The organisation will now present its latest news and updates on capacity expansions, legislation and application developments during this online event.
The next PHA-platform Workshop will take place the day before the 2nd PHA-platform World Congress on 29 March, 2021.
The second PHA-platform World Congress is scheduled for 30-31 March, 2021.