On 7th and 8th June the annual Conference of Europur took place in Milan. The European Association of producers of flexible polyurethane foam was attended by over 300 delegates from 24 countries, including USA, Canada and Japan.  
The Conference had as title “Exploring the qualities of polyurethane flexible“ and offered the opportunity for an overall comparison of the sector and to evaluate new market trends. Market appears potentially still growing.
In 2016, the European production of flexible polyurethane foam increased by 12.6%, from 858,000 to 967,000 tonnes. Poland is the largest producer with 205,000 tonnes (19.7%), followed by Turkey with 136,000 tonnes (13.1%). Italy, with about 100,000 tonnes of production, covers just over 10% of European production and ranks at the top for quality and attention to innovation.
“Italy is more developed than others in the communication level too,“ said Marco Pelucchi, President of Aipef, the Italian Association of producers of flexible polyurethane. “For ten years Member companies, supported also by the producers of raw materials, carry forward the project Poliuretano-è, an information campaign that promotes the knowledge of the various features of this versatile material at the companies in bedding and furnishing sectors. It is hoped that this popular action is followed by other Nations. Just telling the potential of polyurethane in the various fields of application we will strengthen that image of quality and State of the art product that really competes “.

The different qualities of polyurethane foams at the exhibition “Inside the Foam“

In conjunction with the Conference, the Museum of science and technology in Milan hosted the installation “Inside the Foam “, an artistic and interactive path of discovery organized through different areas: a sensory experience for touching the different qualities of polyurethane foams. The decision to give life to this technical artistic initiative within the Museum in Milan has been strongly desired by Aipef also for celebrating eighty years of the invention of this polymer. In 1937 Otto Bayer synthesized for the first time polyurethane Bayer laboratories in Germany. Aipef represents 70% of Italian companies in the sector, with an annual production of more than 70000 tonnes and a turnover of 240 million euros. “The quality of Italian polyurethane is recognised at European level, a sort of “made in Italy“ that is rooted not only in the technological capacity of production, but above all, of the capacity to generate innovative products. Each of our companies produces something like 150 types of different products,” concluded Marco Pelucchi.
Member companies are: Cires by Porcari (LU), Giuseppe Olmo by Comun Nuovo (BG), Norditalia Resine by Campodarsego (PD), Orsa Foam by Gorla Minore (VA), Pelma by Bassano Bresciano (BS), SIP by Matera, Sitab Pe by Nibionno (LC), Rag. Vittorio Broggini by Varese, Chemical Resine by Lissone (MB), Me.Res. – Meridionale resine by Pianodardine (AV).