Trade Talk Today K - Day 5

00:00:03: Welcome to Trade Talk Today, your daily insight.

00:00:08: This show is

00:00:09: brought to you by

00:00:10: Cargill.

00:00:23: Normally, when you hear that sound, you think something has gone wrong.

00:00:27: But when you hear it at K. Trade fair for plastic and rubbers.

00:00:33: You know, it's time for a trade talk today.

00:00:35: And I'm very happy to be here today.

00:00:37: I'm very happy that you are joining us on the fifth day of the fair.

00:00:41: We have a wonderful show put together for you.

00:00:44: And I'm going to be talking to Adam Maltby, research and technology fellow for Koggle later on.

00:00:49: And now I'm happy to welcome you on the show.

00:00:51: How are you doing this morning?

00:00:52: Miriam Olivier, general manager, figure system and president of women in plastics Italy.

00:00:58: It's great to have you here.

00:00:59: You're fine.

00:01:00: Good morning.

00:01:00: You're looking absolutely wonderful.

00:01:01: I love the color, and I love that you are here on the show this morning.

00:01:05: Let's get warmed up a little bit, and I'm going to ask you some quick fire questions and see how you react.

00:01:12: We'll start with them in difficult, maybe, I don't know, recyclable design or zero waste goals.

00:01:18: Recycling.

00:01:20: Mountain retreat or sea breeze escape?

00:01:23: Sea breeze escape.

00:01:26: Spontaneous conversation or curated panel?

00:01:29: Spontanos.

00:01:30: Definitely.

00:01:31: Phone call or email?

00:01:34: Well, both in that case.

00:01:36: So yes.

00:01:38: Train or car?

00:01:40: Car, I'm sorry.

00:01:41: Okay.

00:01:42: Do-it-yourself innovation lab or trusted partner collaboration?

00:01:46: Trusted partner collaborations.

00:01:48: Data first or people first?

00:01:50: People.

00:01:51: Thank you for saying that.

00:01:52: Reuse or redesign?

00:01:55: In that case, I would say both.

00:01:58: So both are important, yes.

00:02:00: Vegan cooking class or burger food truck?

00:02:03: Oh, why?

00:02:07: Why this question?

00:02:09: I would say if I have to choose vegan, because I love fruits and vegetables, but I never...

00:02:16: You know, you don't have to choose.

00:02:17: You can have both and it's all fine.

00:02:18: Absolutely.

00:02:20: LinkedIn, scroll or real life coffee?

00:02:23: Real life copy and that's why we're very happy to have you in real life.

00:02:26: You're on the show today.

00:02:28: We are talking about women in plastics today.

00:02:30: It launches the the or the this year marks the launch of women in plastics at the K in twenty five and it is a networking event for women from women and it's going to or it's going to help shape the future of the industry.

00:02:45: Tell me a little bit more about it and what your role is.

00:02:49: Well, this event is going to be unique.

00:02:52: I'm very thrilled to be part of the panels today and this is a big achievement also for our association.

00:03:02: Our association in Italy was founded less than one year ago and it has been a very, I would say, dynamic and intense season.

00:03:12: But the fact of arriving here It's not just, I would say, an arrival point for the work we did this year.

00:03:22: It's a good opportunity to create bridges also with other nations and with the industry.

00:03:32: So finally, women are on the stage.

00:03:37: we are getting conscious of their position in this industry in the market.

00:03:42: And I really hope that the event today is not just a networking event, but it's a sort of position statement for this awareness of the industry.

00:03:54: From my point of view, It even seems a little bit of a shame that we have to still prove as women that we are capable of being in these kind of positions.

00:04:03: You've been in the industry for quite some time.

00:04:04: You've been very successful.

00:04:06: Tell us about what you had to face when you started in this industry and maybe how it's changed in the positive way over the last years.

00:04:15: I think that the secret is starting very humble and basically this doesn't mean that you are not allowed to have dreams but also probably to consider the opportunities.

00:04:28: And my career was a mixture of curiosity, determination, passion.

00:04:36: I probably... I don't see any turning points in my career, but I see lots of important steps, small steps, and it happened, however, that I stopped asking myself if I was ready, and I was eager to learn, so it was a day by day learning and growing.

00:04:59: that brought me from a back office position in a sales office to the general management position today.

00:05:10: I think this is actually the way to go.

00:05:14: And also surrounding ourselves of people that believe in growth, either ours and theirs, and go together.

00:05:23: Today is not only Women in Plastic Day, it's also the career day.

00:05:28: What would be the one thing you would tell women who are interested in this kind of career and this industry?

00:05:34: What should they focus on?

00:05:35: and should they even see themselves as women or should they just see themselves as good people for the industry?

00:05:43: Yeah, for people entering this industry, I would say, first of all, don't ask for permission.

00:05:50: This industry really needs you, so do not hesitate.

00:05:55: And I think that there is enough room and space for developing talents here.

00:06:03: So, yes, humble but determined.

00:06:08: I think that It's our duty today as mature people to create workplaces where both male and female professionals can have equal opportunities to grow.

00:06:23: And this is something that should attract the young generations too because nowadays we are a little bit complaining that the plastic industry is not attractive for these vocations from the young people.

00:06:37: While on the contrary side I really believe that if we want to create a truly sustainable industry and world.

00:06:44: We have to work in diversity, inclusion so that everybody is valued.

00:06:50: Absolutely.

00:06:51: You are a general manager of Frigo system.

00:06:53: You are in seventy countries.

00:06:55: So what would you say?

00:06:56: are the differences in different countries regarding how women are seen, where they stand in the development of women in this career?

00:07:05: How are you trying to bring it all together?

00:07:06: It must not be so easy.

00:07:08: I mean, I can imagine it's difficult because the industry is globally so different.

00:07:14: Yeah, true.

00:07:14: But I think that this opportunity of traveling to more than eighty countries during my career was really challenging but also a big opportunity for me either for the meeting with the cultures and also the opportunity to to debate and negotiate and communicate and so have this interaction not as a tourist but as a business woman.

00:07:42: and of course it was not easy.

00:07:45: some cultures are open some other ones are not.

00:07:49: These however allow me to get inspired, to get motivated and also identify countries where gender gaps are even higher than what I live for instance in Italy and so try to inspire and motivate other women to be strong and be present and let's say speak up in this industry.

00:08:19: Do you think it was, from your perspective, were the men that helped you in your career to give you more a feeling of being really good at what you do, or were it the women that were kind of helping you in your path?

00:08:33: Or can you not even say it in that kind of way?

00:08:36: No, actually, I'm very grateful to men.

00:08:39: who valued my talent and actually gave me lots of opportunities in this industry.

00:08:47: It's basically a male-dominated word, so it was not easy.

00:08:50: I mean, I didn't find so many women on my pathway.

00:08:55: I think, however, that today in our association, for instance, which is women in plastics industry, not only women are there, but also men, very important companies.

00:09:04: So it's very important to open.

00:09:06: And I think that the best of the result is coming when we all act together in a dialogue that where everybody can help each other to see the real and the good direction.

00:09:19: Exactly.

00:09:20: So what's the point of having us women sit together and talking to ourselves about how great we are?

00:09:24: Because we already know how great we are because we're really good at what we do.

00:09:26: It's good to have the men at the table and we can work together.

00:09:29: And it's not about being against each other.

00:09:30: It's about working together.

00:09:31: Miriam, thank you so much for being here today.

00:09:33: I wish you a good time at K. I know you look like you've been having a good time and I love the smile.

00:09:38: So thank you so much for being here.

00:09:39: We're going to take a look at so many things going on at the K. And so we were at the science campus and we're going to take a look at what happens there and what's been going on.

00:09:48: So if you missed that, this is the time to pay good attention.

00:10:49: So the Science Campus is only one of the highlights here at K-Twenty-Twenty-Five.

00:10:54: Make sure you check out everything.

00:10:56: And if you don't know where to go, then check out our website and you can find out all the things that are happening at the fair.

00:11:02: Or just stay tuned here on Trade Talk today because we always have fantastic guests and I'm going to talk to the next fantastic guest on the show, Adam Maltby.

00:11:09: Thank you so much for being here today, Research and Technology Fellow at Cargill.

00:11:13: Thank you for your time.

00:11:14: I hope you're doing well.

00:11:15: Yeah, very good.

00:11:16: Glad to be here.

00:11:17: Let's get some rapid questions going to get us warmed up a little bit starting with a question, train schedules or car freedom?

00:11:26: Good question, both.

00:11:27: Absolutely both.

00:11:28: Absolutely.

00:11:30: Very good.

00:11:31: Human empathy or AI efficiency?

00:11:33: Human empathy.

00:11:34: Thank you for saying that.

00:11:35: I agree completely.

00:11:36: Fiction for fun or non-fiction for growth?

00:11:39: Fiction for fun.

00:11:41: And I think you can also grow with not with fiction by the way.

00:11:43: A circular model or offset or emissions?

00:11:46: Circular model.

00:11:48: Bioplastics or recyclable composites?

00:11:51: I would say recyclable.

00:11:53: Slack message or call.

00:11:56: Not sure I understand the question.

00:11:57: Well,

00:11:58: like a team call or like a message or like a written message or a call, a phone call.

00:12:03: Call.

00:12:05: Speak on stage or network in the crowd.

00:12:08: Speak on stage.

00:12:09: Oh, office brainstorming or remote whiteboarding.

00:12:13: Office brainstorming.

00:12:15: Ecom materials or energy efficient processes.

00:12:19: I think that's got to be both.

00:12:21: You can't have one without the other.

00:12:22: I'm

00:12:22: going to end with an easy one, early riser or a night owl.

00:12:25: Night owl?

00:12:26: Night owl, really?

00:12:27: Okay, well then, thank you for being here so early this morning.

00:12:30: Well, I'm glad you're here anyway.

00:12:32: Okay, let me talk to you about your role as research and technology fellow.

00:12:36: Maybe you can explain to us what you do and what your main focus areas are.

00:12:40: Okay, so as a research and technology fellow, it's really acting as an internal consultant.

00:12:47: So I've been in the business now for thirty six years in this department and so it's leveraging those years of experience to contribute to other projects or people's projects.

00:13:00: I annoy people by being involved in all their projects when I can, but also remind projects where I think there's a specific need and it needs some focus on those kind of areas.

00:13:14: You were at the K for the first time in nineteen ninety two, unless then a lot of things have happened, the industry has evolved.

00:13:20: And what would you say has been the biggest change at the K regarding your industry?

00:13:27: I think I'm not sure it's about the industry, but it's the introduction of more technology.

00:13:32: I think that is, I mean, when I first came here, there was no mobile phone, for example.

00:13:37: People can't even imagine that.

00:13:39: So

00:13:39: you can't imagine how you got around.

00:13:41: There was no GPS.

00:13:42: It was all maps.

00:13:45: But I think the introduction technology into the industry to allow networking more easily, I think, is probably the biggest thing.

00:13:53: I mean, there's been lots of technology.

00:13:55: introductions into polyophones, etc.

00:13:58: But I think it's the actual working practices, the biggest innovator.

00:14:04: Things are going very, very quickly right nowadays.

00:14:07: Do you see that as a good thing or is a bad thing, especially regarding I mean, sometimes you can make more mistakes if it's going too fast.

00:14:13: Yeah, I think that there is a tendency for, you know, certainly in politics, for example, to have to be seen to do something.

00:14:24: But I think being a scientist myself it's that considered take a step back and say is this the right thing to be doing or should we do nothing?

00:14:33: you know there are always those options.

00:14:35: so things are moving quickly.

00:14:38: I fear that we will get to a point where we going too far and feel we may have to roll back a little bit.

00:14:44: Yeah, policy makers seem to be either going too fast or too slow and they don't seem to be getting it right all the time.

00:14:49: Cargill is known for its commitment to sustainability.

00:14:54: How does this work?

00:14:55: or tell me where you're headed and what you've been doing?

00:14:58: Well, Cargill is a whole huge company and it's very big in the sort of food area.

00:15:05: So, you know, all that food has to be produced.

00:15:09: in a way which is sustainable.

00:15:11: otherwise it will just run out will destroy the land.

00:15:14: we will not be able to sustain populations and population growth.

00:15:19: but that feeds into my area which is the bio industrial division where we take sustainable raw materials and try and use those for other things apart from food.

00:15:32: so it's sort of in our DNA to be sustainable.

00:15:35: because of our food background going into industrial areas.

00:15:40: So where would you see the major trends in regarding polymer additives?

00:15:45: Is there a major trend?

00:15:46: Is there one thing you can say or are there a lot of trends?

00:15:49: There are a lot of trends.

00:15:50: I think there is a move away from animal products to vegetable products.

00:15:56: That's been going on for a long, long time now, but also a move away from petro sources.

00:16:01: I mean petro sources are good for certain things.

00:16:05: I think the worst thing we can do with petro sources is burn it, for example.

00:16:10: But in the additives, it is more safe and sustainable.

00:16:16: They are the things which are driving.

00:16:18: And there's been a lot of discussions around alternatives to fluoropolymer, polymer additives, or processing aids, because of the environmental concerns.

00:16:29: Can you share some insights on intercarbose research into this area?

00:16:32: Yeah, sure.

00:16:33: And definitely you can tell me that I said it wrong, but if the way, but...

00:16:36: Fluoropolymers, fluorolastomers, PFAS, they're all things which are generally we understand to mean the same thing.

00:16:45: it's these materials with carbon fluorine bonds which although are fantastic materials in some respects they have the disadvantage of being around for an awful long time it's very difficult to get rid of them once you've made them.

00:16:59: So for essential uses I think yeah fine they do things that nothing else will do.

00:17:07: but if we're going to put them into packaging which is then possibly going to be thrown away or recycled.

00:17:12: I think it's important to look for alternatives.

00:17:15: So we've been very much involved in that, and it started with a chance conversation.

00:17:21: So in twenty twenty, I was in the US, we were having customer meetings, and at the end of the meeting, someone turned around to me and said, we're probably going to have to get rid of fluorinated poems.

00:17:34: Do you have something which will act as a processing aid?

00:17:37: And then I went to another meeting.

00:17:38: And at exactly the same thing, at the end of the meeting, there's a casual comment.

00:17:43: Someone said, we're probably going to have to get rid of floor problem.

00:17:48: Can you think of anything that you do that might be useful?

00:17:51: So that's where it started.

00:17:53: And it started with that face to face conversation.

00:17:57: I think that's something that we perhaps will lose with more online teams.

00:18:02: You don't get that little bit of face to face content.

00:18:05: And so coming here, for example, is absolutely a great thing because there will be so many innovations that come out of those casual conversations.

00:18:14: Exactly, it's about talking to each other and finding the nuance in the conversation and you can't get that on a Zoom call even though people think they can have good conversation.

00:18:22: but just looking into that camera doesn't always work.

00:18:24: So tell me about the conversations you've been having here at K. Probably you can't get into all the details but how is the... What does the feel between the other stakeholders and people you've been talking to?

00:18:37: Well, if we come back to the PFAS thing, that probably has been the biggest thing.

00:18:42: Obviously, we've been presenting something here as a launch of a product, which we feel has got some possibilities in that area.

00:18:51: So that's been very much the focus.

00:18:54: But then there's a wide range of other things going on and you always get, hundreds of people will come and say, Have you got something that does this?

00:19:02: Have you got something that does that?

00:19:03: And so I wouldn't say there's a particular focus apart from that's probably the main subject that I've encountered.

00:19:10: So just to end the conversation, what can people see when they come to your stand?

00:19:14: What will they be presenting, presented?

00:19:17: OK, so I've got a full range of normal products, which is things to make plastic slippy, things that stop plastic sticking together.

00:19:25: We've got a range of anti-static additives, both temporary.

00:19:29: ones which migrate and permanent ones which are quite unique.

00:19:34: Some anti-fogging agents for wettability plastics.

00:19:37: and we've got our new product which is the Incaflow P-Fifty which is a PFAS replacement and processing aid.

00:19:45: It's wonderful to have you on the show today and give us some insight on how expertise and being responsible about the industry brings us very far as a society.

00:19:56: So thank you so much, Adam, for being here today and joining us on the show.

00:19:59: And thank you all for joining us on the show today as well.

00:20:02: Tomorrow, I won't be here.

00:20:04: My lovely colleague, Michael Kreese, will be joining you with wonderful guests, Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman, Association of Plastics and Rubber Machinery, and Emmanuel Rapendi, Global Head Polymers and Crystallization.

00:20:15: So it's a chemtech.

00:20:16: We'll be here on the show with my colleague, Michael Kreese.

00:20:20: If you don't know what to do today or tomorrow, check our website.

00:20:23: I said tomorrow.

00:20:24: We also have the Innovation Monday.

00:20:26: We have Pitch, Sesson, Newcomer, and Big Fish startups in the shape of the future stage in hall six.

00:20:32: And we have the WAK award ceremony and so much more.

00:20:37: Whatever you do, if you're here at the fair or if you're just watching from abroad, have a lovely day.

00:20:43: Enjoy yourself.

00:20:43: And thank you for joining us today on Trade Talk Today.

00:20:46: This show was brought to you by

00:20:48: Cargill.