Cutting-edge processing and packaging machines, and technologies and services for the food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and barcoding, printing and labelling industries are on display at PROPAK Viet Nam, which opened in HCM City on Tuesday.

The annual processing and packaging technology exhibition features over 430 exhibitors from many countries and territories, with major companies, brands and enterprises including ABB, Altech, ABC Compessor, Bericap, Phu Loc, Rieckermann, Song Song, Ishada, Uchida and many others.

The event offers invaluable opportunities to enhance business connections as well as discover new ideas and possibilities to improve competitive positioning in the value chain, according to BT Tee, general manager of UBM VES, one of the event’s organisers.

Conferences and seminars will be held on the sidelines of the expo, including technical seminars hosted by the Viet Nam Association of Food Science and Technology and Lean Six Sigma Network.

Propak Vietnam is running concurrently with Plastics & Rubber Vietnam, the seventh International Plastics and Rubber Technologies and Materials Exhibition, which has attracted 175 exhibitors from 20 countries and territories, with six country pavilions from Australia, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Singapore.

The industry opportunities at these events are further enhanced by the Printech Vietnam – a specialised zone within Propak Vietnam serving the converting, package printing and labelling sectors.

Paolo Lemma, trade commissioner, Italian Trade Commission, said 24 Italian companies are exhibiting their latest processing and packaging solutions and technologies for use in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries at the Italian pavilion at the 2018 ProPak & Printech Vietnam.

“Many enterprises took part in the exhibitions in previous years and got good results, so they returned this time to reinforce their position in the market as well as to seek new customers,” he said.

Other Italian companies said the Vietnamese market was a very promising one for their firms.

Viet Nam’s packaging industry continues to expand, driven by growing demand for food and beverages processed and packaged in a modern way, they said.

Michael Przytulla of the German Engineering Federation – Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, said: “It is expected that demand for packaged food will rise by 47 per cent in the 2016-22 period.”

Vietnamese consumers were increasingly focusing on food hygiene and quality, with more options for packaged products, he said.

Vietnamese firms needed to upgrade their technologies to maintain their competitiveness as well as meet consumer demand, he said.

Viet Nam’s import of food processing and packaging machines had increased year after year, with China, Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea the major exporters, he said.

BT Tee said: “New quality and environmental protection needs, coupled with product design and innovation, will create new opportunities for companies to open new technologies and concepts required to stay competitive.”

In addition, the world needs better plastics technologies to improve recovery and recycling to reduce material demand for a more sustainable growth environment, according to Tee.

Hence, manufacturing industries need to evolve responsible plastics usage to achieve reduction of plastic waste.

Industries and consumers must begin deploying new techniques and materials to face the challenges of consumption and improve the environment.

The three exhibitions will run until March 22 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre. — VNS