The rubber glove industry has been showing a continuous chart of impressive growth for the past 20 years despite recent challenges, said Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers’ Association (MARGMA) president, Denis Low Jau Foo.
A 10% increase in global demand for rubber gloves is expected in 2016, with the demand figures rising to 212.2 billion pieces in 2016 from the previous 192.9 billion gloves in 2015. Malaysia is expected to fill in 63% of the global demand, which effectively translates to a projected revenue of RM14.3 billion for the country in 2016, Low added.
In order to bridge the gap among glove industry players and to fortify a greater exchange of ideas regarding technological innovations and industry growth, MARGMA organised the International Rubber Glove Conference and Exhibition (IRGCE). It is a bi-yearly event that facilitates global discussion of rubber glove industry-related developments and exchange of ideas. The first IRGCE was held in 2002.
The 8th IRGCE 2016 will be held on September 6 to 8 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia.
A total of 95 exhibitors from 11 countries will attend the highly-anticipated event; 33 exhibitors are glove makers while the rest are companies in glove-related supporting industries. Among the participating countries are Malaysia, China, United States, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
With the theme “Beyond Just Infection &Contamination Control”, this year’s edition will showcase an array of new innovative products, updates on regulatory compliance, green technology and waste management, improvements in processing technologies, advances in latices and usage of rubber gloves in medical and non-medical settings.
The conference continues to be a platform for stakeholders including regulators to exchange ideas on improvements in processing technologies, product innovation, green technology, packaging, automation and other new advances related to product manufacturing.
This year, a total of 18 local and international speakers will be presenting key industry development and research papers to chart new strategies for the Rubber Glove Industry. Among the topics include “Beyond The Horizon: Longer Term Opportunities of the Rubber Gloves Market and a white paper titled, “The State of the Glove Affair” that touches on trends and economic viability of the industry.
“The IRGCE essentially showcases the rubber glove industry ecosystem and presents an opportunity for investors, entrepreneurs, supporting industries, students, the general public and other interested parties to delve and engage industry giants to learn and better appreciate the intricacies and significance of the industry,” said Low.
The 8th IRGCE 2016 is expected to attract over 3,600 trade visitors for the duration of the exhibition, mainly from countries Malaysia exports its products to.
The exhibition on September 6 and 7 is free for trade visitors, investors, health practitioners, academics, students, media, and the general public, while a seminar on September 8 is designed for new technicians, QC/QA and process engineers who are currently working in the industry.
The opening ceremony of the 8th IRGCE 2016 was officiated by the country’s Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Yang Berhormat Datuk Haji Datu Nasrun bin Haji Datu Mansur.
The event is co-hosted by the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) and supported by the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities, MITI, MATRADE, the Malaysian Rubber Board, the Thai Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association and the Indonesian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association.
YTY, Top Glove, Supermax, Latexx Partners, Kossan, Hartalega, Smart Glove, Excelkos, Tiong Tat, Synthomer, Aquaspersions, Brightway and Chempro Technology are key sponsors for the event.