Miller Magazine Issue: 147 March 2022

106 TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM MILLER / march 2022 Pharmintech's identity and boosting synergies among the exhibition segments representing IPACK-IMA's com- petitive advantage. IPACK-IMA is not only about packaging. What other product sectors will be represented? IPACK-IMA will not only showcase the most innova- tive packaging solutions: processing technologies will also play an increasingly important role. Visitors will find the most advanced solutions, from kneading machines, weighing systems, flour milling, cleaning and storage systems, industrial baking systems for bakery and other food products, dosing machines, pressing machinery, devices for the high-quality processing of liquid and pasty products such as creams, gels, balms, toothpaste and other cosmetic products. There will also be space for technologies linked to handling systems on process- ing and packaging lines, for the optimisation of internal transport and production processes. Coding & tracking technologies, end-of-line and protective packaging solutions applicable to all production sectors complete the exhibition offer. What are your expectations, especially in terms of visitors and arrival of foreign buyers? What will be the benefits offered to professionals by the "MYipackima" project, on which you are focusing so much? We are working on the incoming of carefully profiled buyers from abroad, a theme our platform has always fo- cused on. Therefore, we are very confident, thanks also to an improvement in the global health situation. Our As- sociation, Ucima, is also making a great effort in this direction: thanks to the good relations we have with ITA - Italian Trade Agency, we will be able to host selected professionals from many target markets interested in our technologies at IPACK-IMA. More- over, IPACK-IMA offers its professionals new digital networking opportunities, thanks to "MYipackima", the innovative match making platform that allows exhibitors and buyers to profile themselves and find the right contact person to talk to and develop new business with, before, during and after the show. I can proudly say that to date, with over 1,000 exhib- itors, IPACK-IMA offers a truly attractive and com- plete technological panorama, with innovations and previews of future production trends and a full cal- endar of specialized events. How is "The Innovation Alliance", the format created in 2018 that marked the collaboration be- tween Fiera Milano, the organizers of individual events and trade associations, evolving? After a successful debut in the last edition, the great project "The Innovation Alliance” will again include IPACK-IMA in 2022 in conjunction with other ex- hibitions dedicated to instrumental mechanics: Intralo- gistica Italia, focused on goods handling and warehouse management, Print4All, dedicated to industrial printing and converting technologies and the first edition of Greenplast, focused on the plastics and rubber supply chain with a focus on environmental sustainability, ener- gy efficiency and circular economy. In view of the positive development of the pandemic situation, what measures do you envisage to ensure the success of the event in attendance? IPACK-IMA is an event not to be missed by companies wishing to showcase their technological innovations to industries eager to discover, learn and develop new business relations. The in-person presence is guaran- teed by protocols that have been extensively tested at various times during the resumption of trade fair activ- ities in 2020 and 2021. In Italy, and at Fiera Milano in particular, it is now standard practice to ensure the safety of exhibitors, journalists and buyers who crowd the pavil- ions of the exhibition center. Also, government measures in Italy have significantly eased restrictions on visiting in- ternational trade fairs. I conclude with a message to exhibitors and visitors: bring and pursue innovation at the show because IP- ACK-IMA is the right place and the right time. IPACK-IMA is an incubator of ideas and, above all, a great business connector.