45th Pollutec draws successful balance

Pollutec 2023, the international trade fair for environmentally friendly solutions for industry, municipalities and regions, closed the doors of its 45th anniversary edition. It took place from October 10 to 13 at the Eurexpo Lyon exhibition center. The aim was to highlight the solutions needed to meet challenges arising from the explosive nature of climate change.

The Pollutec 2023 environmental trade fair attracted 51000 visitors to Lyon. (Image: flickr.com / Pollutec)
With more than 51,000 trade visitors, 2,000 exhibitors, including 200 startups, and 17 regional and national joint stands, Pollutec brought together representatives of the entire environmental and climate industry between October 10 and 13, 2023. The fair was held for the 45th time.

Joint action in the event focus

Climate change requires faster implementation of transition strategies in every respect. Against this backdrop, the entire environmental sector met at the Lyon exhibition center to promote the exchange of best practices and highlight common approaches. The 2023 edition was characterized by increasing attendance, a wide range of solutions (120 innovations were presented exclusively at the fair) and several event highlights:
  • During 30 panel discussions, dedicated industry experts explained their inspiring visions for the future in the fight against climate change.
  • 400 lecture events from 11 thematic forums took place. Such as the Agriculture & Climate Forum, where, among other things, the conflict-laden issue of the use of water resources was discussed, and the Forum on the Circular Economy against the background of the French anti-waste law AGEC.
  • A drinking water network was recreated in the Water Hub experience area. It served to raise the public's awareness of how to deal with water resources and to highlight innovations from the field of water management.
  • The Green Days presented itself as an industry meeting of international participants and European clusters.
"This year, the entire environmental sector has been particularly engaged in offering truly concrete and innovative solutions in the face of urgent challenges caused by climate change. The strength of the collective creates a domino effect that fosters the emergence of new solutions and helps shape global action strategies, outside entrenched organizational structures," said Anne-Manuèle Hébert, executive director of Pollutec. "This is also the role we attribute to Pollutec as a catalyst of environmental change: to enable all sectors affected by environmental change to work hand in hand."

Pollutec Innovation Awards 2023

Since its creation, Pollutec has made it its mission to support and promote innovation for the environment, in particular by organizing the Pollutec Innovation Awards competition. At the 2023 exhibition event, 12 finalists were spotlighted and three companies received an award: Grims Énergie (heat storage), MTB (recycling of lithium-ion batteries) and Purenat (textiles for removing organic pollutants in the air).

Pollutec Paris 2024 and Pollutec 2025

The next Pollutec will again be held in Lyon in 2025, from October 7-10, 2025, but the industry will already meet in Paris in 2024: Pollutec Paris will be held in Hall 1 of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center on Tuesday, November 26 and Wednesday, November 27, 2024. The biennial format is intended to complement the traditional event in Lyon. Against the backdrop of accelerated implementation of regulatory frameworks and the accompanying increase in demand from industry and public stakeholders for concrete solutions, Pollutec Paris lends itself as a second industry gathering to discuss topics such as regulatory requirements, financing and innovation. The Pollutec Paris event is also characterized by its geographic proximity to Northern Europe and presents the 11 major offer areas that are also represented in Lyon. The aim is to offer the same systemically oriented and interdisciplinary approach. Source and further information

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