Following our third year at the ‘Asia Pharma Expo International Exhibition on the South Asian Pharmaceutical Industry’ held in Bangladesh, we spoke to Matcon Pharmaceutical Business Line Director Richard Lockwood to get his view on how the event and sector has developed in the last few years.
Richard, you’ve just returned from another visit to Bangladesh and the Asia Pharma Expo. What are the general thoughts on the event this year?
“The Exhibition was a great success, a high number of visitors representing a wide range of Companies, from the more established major players in the sector, to those up and coming businesses and people just starting out in the business. The spread of exhibitors at the Expo was varied this year, with large multinationals sitting alongside local vendors. It was a great mix that worked very well.
This is the third year that Matcon has exhibited at the show, how have you seen the event change from year to year?
The scale and quality of the exhibits has certainly increased, even compared to last year, it is clear from the investments in the show just how seriously people are taking the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh.
Tell us about the products and services you discussed the most at the event this year?
Obviously the Matcon Cone Valve was at the heart of most conversations, however the concept of IBC blending in particular really seemed to get people thinking. The sheer range of products that facilities are planning leads to a wide variety of batch sizes. The ability to have a single IBC blender that can handle multiple IBC sizes really caught people’s attention.
Did this year’s Asia Pharma Expo vary from the last few years in terms of visitors? What were the roles of the people you met?
The exhibition still attracts a wide range of people from all roles within Companies, from CEOs and MDs to new starters. The sheer number of people attending from each organisation is testimony to the value that the Companies now place on the show encouraging people to attend. We have seen the Expo grow each year and the conversations become more varied, which only demonstrates the growth of the sector in Bangladesh.
What were the common topics that were discussed at this year’s event?
The positive growth of the pharmaceutical market in Bangladesh and the amount of increased investment was a popular topic, everyone seems to be building factories. More attention is being given to export markets with people talking about FDA compliance and regulatory approval as key drivers to investment.
Did you hear of any common challenges being faced by delegates?
As regulatory compliance becomes more of an issue the confidence in a solution to give quality results within a GMP environment is becoming more important. The fact that Matcon have a proven, track record in the region going back almost 20 years is a big boost to the confidence.
How do you see the potential of the Bangladesh Pharma Industry over the next 1 - 5 years?
During the opening speeches, at the inauguration it was stated that the industry in Bangladesh is now amongst the fastest growing in the world at around 15% per annum, the industry provides 97% of all medicines consumed in the Country. The government has also recently established an API park to ensure that the Country controls the full supply chain instead of relying on imported API from China or India.
Our history in the region coupled with the benefits of Cone Valve Technology allow us to increase our presence in OSD whilst benefiting from the new opportunities in API.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Specialists
If you would like to speak to Richard to learn how Matcon provides complete materials handling solutions for OSD and API pharmaceutical manufacturers then call (+44) 1386 769 000 or get in touch via our contact us page.
If you are currently developing a facility you will also benefit from our latest Pharmaceutical focused white paper, which you can download for free below.
