New Orleans isn't hosting the NFL Super Bowl this weekend – that's being held in Phoenix. But the “Big Easy" is playing host to another “super bowl" of sorts beginning next week. That's when two of the chemical industry's leading trade organizations come to town not to compete, but to collaborate during separate conferences occurring simultaneously at the Ernest Morial Convention Center – Infocast's 6th Annual Bio-Based & Sustainable Chemicals Summit, and InformEx USA hosted by the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA).
So while all eyes will be focused on football's biggest game Sunday, Feb. 1st, the real action in the chemical industry gets underway Tuesday, Feb. 3rd, and will feature the coming together of an international mix of motivated buyers and sellers of high value chemistry for three days of sourcing, education and networking across the fine, specialty & custom chemical marketplaces.
Three Kodak entities: Eastman Business Park, Kodak Specialty Chemicals and Kodak's Solvent Recovery Operation – with over 25 distillation towers to support the Park's growing bio-based and sustainable chemicals business – will be in town as well with major roles to play in both events.
At the InformEx conference, Tuesday the 3rd at 11 a.m., Nagraj Bokinkere, PhD., Technical Director of Kodak's Specialty Chemicals operation, will showcase the facility's world class physical assets and long-standing capabilities during a presentation in Room 221 – just across the exhibit hall from KSC's booth.
Dr. Bokinkere's presentation will focus on how chemical companies are partnering with KSC on a wide variety of projects – from pilot scale-up custom organic chemical synthesis to toll manufacturing services using multiple dedicated reactors with production ranges from kilos to metric tons. They're also benefitting from experience that results from a long and trusted history of providing scale to innovation.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4th, Eastman Business Park's Michael Alt will serve as a panelist during a Bio-Based & Sustainable Chemicals Summit discussion entitled: “Partnerships across the Globe to Support the Growth of Bio-Based Materials." EBP will also host a networking session just prior to that event. EBP is certainly no stranger to partnership and networking opportunities – several of the more than 60 high tech companies located at the Park operate in the biofuels and biomaterials category. They came because of the unique innovation ecosystem that exists there.
Of course the EBP, KSC and Solvent Recovery teams will be available at the booth, during all the networking breaks, at luncheons and various events in order to accelerate interactions with innovators, owners, executives and investors in the bio-based, specialty, sustainable and custom chemical industries throughout the three days of the two conferences.
About Eastman Business Park
Kodak's Eastman Business Park is multi-use research, commercialization and advanced manufacturing center in Rochester, NY. This 1,200 acre campus encompasses more than 100 buildings, 2.5 million square feet of space, and over 50 miles of integrated roads and rail targeting major markets throughout the Northeast. Referred to as a “city within a city," EBP possesses a self-generated utility infrastructure and bench top to prototype analytical tools supporting the commercialization of clean technology products in the materials science space. Some of the more than 60 companies located within this unique innovation ecosystem are manufacturing highly diverse specialty chemicals, thin films and medical products. Others are advancing the development and deployment of functional films, energy storage and bio-mass materials. Leveraging the benefits of this innovation ecosystem, companies can focus resources on accelerating their materials to market. There isn't anything comparable to it in the United States.
About Kodak Specialty Chemicals
For more than a century, Kodak has brought new ideas and chemical processes to life. Today, making over 500 distinct molecules, ranging from a few kilograms to hundreds of tons, our data driven approach to process development and exceptional project management skills have been tested by experience. Our 88 reactor systems range in capacity from pilot scale to 1,000 gallons with both flexible and specialized capabilities. Our solvent recovery operations can recycle your manufacturing waste and by-product streams, returning them to near virgin quality. Whether for your specialty chemical or solvent recovery needs, take advantage of Kodak's physical assets within the safe & secure Eastman Business Park. Put the Kodak team to work for you!