IMPCA Purpose

IMPCA

Is committed to the goals of communication and provision of information. Communication comes through its recognition of the value of properly themed and prepared Conferences. These are held in Europe, SE Asia and the USA. They are embedded in the idea of regional conferences but in each case succeed in attracting global participation covering all major industrial areas. The European Mini-Conference (so called because of its 24-hour duration) started in June 1989 with some thirty-five participants. Held annually on the second Thursday and Friday of June it now attracts an audience of well above 170. The location rotates among Europe’s various regions. The 2014 Mini-Conference was held in Porto, and in 2015 the venue was Prague. The 2016 venue will be Porto, on 9 - 10 of June.

Singapore was the venue for the first Asian Conference in 1989 with well over two hundred delegates. It now has changed from a biennial to an annual event.

The 18^th in the series took place in Singapore on 3 – 5 November, 2015.

The 1st IMPCA Mini Promoting Conference America was held in Miami in 2012 with a small attendance. The conference was not organised in 2013 but the 2nd conference organised in 2014 saw a partipation of 34 persons and the 3rd conference organised in 2015 Conference which took place in New Orleans on 5 - 6 February had a paticipation of 60 persons. The concerence has changed name to become the IMPCA Missippi Concerence America and in 2016 will take place once again in New Orleans on 11 - 12 February.

In the past, several Latin-American conferences were held in the Caribbean region, but because of the lack of regional participation, this conference has not been held since 2002. In all cases the subject matter is designed to be topical, whilst taking into account future trends and implications in a variety of methanol related issues. Regional aspects are examined first as such, followed by the wider global context.

The Association's other two main objectives have in the past been directed towards the provision of information in areas where other sources may be scarce and towards University education. The first may be achieved through the expert work of sub committees and through University sponsored studies, such as the reports prepared by Louvain University on Formaldehyde in Wood Products, and by Imperial College, London on Methanol as a Fuel for Fuel Cell Vehicles, Interduct (University Delft) did carry out a study in the Alternative Methanol Production Chain, which was finalized in 2003. In 2005 a bursary was awarded to a student from the University of Tokyo, who used the funds to participate in the “International Congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes (ICOM 2005)” A poster presentation on the research carried out on fuel-cell membranes was prepared for this conference. More recently a bursary was awarded to two students from the Technical University of Delft (Netherlands) who carried out their final thesis work on a subject supporting the development of a market for clean alcohol fuel stoves (Project Gaia).

The second objective was meant to be directed towards a greater understanding of the gas based industries in general and methanol in particular by Universities and their students, but has been put on hold.

32nd IMPCA Mini-Conference 2022 - This conference will take place in Porto, Portugal on the 9th – 10th June 2022.

More info with the program of the conference will follow soon.

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