Whether you read the headline in the Feb. 7 Chicago Tribune, "Just what makes Germany so different, so appealing?' or the Jan. 22 Los Angeles Times headline, "Germany's economic strengths make it like the U.S. of yesteryear," the same story praised Germany for its focus on high production, low inflation, orientation toward formal vocational training, and extensive social services.
Although the article admitted the country faces challenges, author Don Lee acknowledged, "Germany, with its manufacturing base and export prowess, is the America of yesteryear, and economic power unlike any of its European neighbors. As the world's fourth-largest economy, it has thrived on principles that the United States seems to have gradually lost.
"Indeed, Germany was the only major eurozone nation to escape the credit downgrades that have hit its neighbors. And the country continues to anchor the continent's economy," said the story.
Frankfurt am Main, Germany will be the site for ACHEMA 2012. Scheduled for June 18-22, the event is billed as "the world forum of the process industry and the trend-setting technology summit for chemical engineering, environmental protection and biotechnology. The 30th ACHEMA will again be the leading international meeting point for decision-makers and experts from all related industries." (The photo shown here is from a pharmaceutical packaging stand at a recent Achema event.)
The event's Web site anticipates 4,000 exhibitors from 50 countries and 180,000 participants from 100 countries within 140,000 meters2 of net exhibition space. Exhibition groups include engineering, instrumentation, control and automation techniques, materials technology and testing, pharmaceutical, packaging and storage techniques, among others. Halls 3.0, 3.1, and outdoor area F1 are listed for the pharmaceutical, packaging and storage techniques group, defined as "Apparatus and machinery for dosing, moulding, filling, sealing, packing, labelling and inspection as well as packaging materials; machinery for the production, manufacture and packaging of drugs; transportation and storage techniques."
Finally, German Science Day was held Feb. 2, with the theme "Fight Cancer! An initiative of the German biotechnology." The Web site lists conference information, presenting companies, and multimedia options, as well as translations.
