PolyTalk 2014: An Industrial Renaissance in Europe... Let’s make it happen
How can we reconcile competiveness and sustainability policy goals in Europe? What can be done to reduce the high energy costs crippling European industry? What are the concrete steps that need to be taken in the short-term to make the long-term vision of a competitive and resource efficient Europe a reality? And what is the potential of the plastics sector to contribute to sustainable growth in a challenging economic environment?
These and other related questions were recurring themes throughout PolyTalk 2014, a high level industry summit hosted by PlasticsEurope in Brussels on 4-5 November 2014. Under the umbrella heading "An Industrial Renaissance in Europe…let’s make it happen”, the conference gathered more than 300 high-level figures from the worlds of politics, industry, science, academia and the media to discuss a range of subjects from the circular economy to shale gas, and from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to education policy in Europe.
Many of these topics were addressed in a "Manifesto for the Competitiveness of the European Plastics Industry”, launched at the start of the conference as a joint initiative of PlasticsEurope and the European Plastics Converters (EuPC). PolyTalk 2014 also played host to an "Innovation Hub” where companies had the opportunity to showcase their latest technological innovations to people attending the conference.
Download the summary report.
This report provides a summary of discussions over the two days and highlights key points raised by speakers and participants:
- Setting the Scene: Europe’s competitiveness in a global economy
- The Third Industrial Revolution - what would it look like?
- How is the rest of the world faring?
- European growth in a global environment - what role for the industry?
- Manufacturing Europe’s future
- What would it take for the industry to invest in Europe?
- How to secure Europe’s competiveness in terms of energy and raw materials?
- Is TTIP good for Europe?
- The plastics industry: An attractive employer in Europe
- Innovation: The engine of industrial growth in Europe
- What should the European plastics industry look like in the next decade?
Best moments
PROGRAMME
MEMBERS ONLY PRESENTATIONS
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