Hundreds of new companies expected at this year’s P-MEC China

From 20–22 June, the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), Shanghai, China, will host the P-MEC China event, which is seen as an accurate gauge of industry growth potential and features a large exhibition and several in-depth conferences.

Currently, the pharmaceutical machinery and equipment market in China is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a thriving domestic pharma industry and a recent commitment to advanced technologies and modernisation.

These trends are already apparent at P-MEC, which is expecting 200 new companies to make their debut this year at the show. In fact, a total of more than 850 companies from 20 countries will be exhibiting and with such a demand for domestic machinery, the floor space at the show has increased by 12%.

“The growth in the exhibitor and attendee numbers at P-MEC provides a good steer on the industry’s overall health and growth over the next few years,” commented Marie Lagrenee, brand manager of CPhI China, UBM. “What is most impressive in China is that we are seeing tremendous increases in new pharmaceutical machinery exhibitors attending, and we believe this is part of a country-wide drive to modernise pharma manufacturing in advance of a new wave of growth.”

A key industry trend, highlighted before the event, is the advancing intelligence of manufacturing and machinery. The country is currently pursuing a ‘Made In China 2025’ initiative, with billions of dollars being invested to move the pharma industry up the manufacturing value chain. It also indicates the need for GMP facilities and machinery so that the country’s significant export growth can be sustained. To help firms capitalise on this trend, P-MEC will launch the first “Intelligent Plant Zone”, where visitors will be able to explore new developments in automation equipment and information systems.

Another area impacting pharmaceutical machinery is the implementation of China’s Environmental Protection Tax Law (2018), which is encouraging pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to invest in green solutions for emissions treatment. In response, the 2018 China Pharma Environmental Forum will include an update from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on the implications for the industry.

“P-MEC is integral to the wider industry’s growth, and we deliberately tailor our programmes to upcoming trends in the market. We are looking to be an active conduit through which the market can capitalise, with the onsite conferences and activities providing cutting edge industry and regulatory insight. For anyone working in China, P-MEC is a must attend to nurture relationships and keep abreast of the changing dynamics,” added Lagrenee.