What does it take to revive the natural rubber economy? Could “Natural Rubber 2.0,” the application of new technology, be the ultimate game changer for the industry? Taking place in Hainan, China, December 12-14, 2019, at the Howard Johnson New Port Resort Haikou, Global Rubber Conference 2019 will address these questions amidst the current backdrop of the fourth industrial revolution in which artificial intelligence and data technology are addressing innovation gaps and low demand for NR across the globe. From the use of drones to satellite images and sensor technology, the natural rubber industry is poised for a radical change.
 
The 15th annual Global Rubber Conference adopts the theme “Natural Rubber 2.0: The Game Changer,” which aims to address technological innovations such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, IoT, and robotics, and how these revolutionary tools are reshaping the way cultivation and harvesting is done. Artificial intelligence and connected automation have caused new concepts to emerge, such as electric and aerial mobility, 3D printing, clean energy and industrial applications, which require new NR materials. On the manufacturing front, manufacturers of rubber products and rubber processors will have to choose whether to stay put or hop on the industry 4.0 bandwagon.
 


GRC2019 is a prestigious international conference that unites a global audience for high-level discussions on the market’s determining forces and to develop strategies for the rubber and rubber-products industries internationally. -
 
Day one of the event offers three keynote addresses. The first topic is “The World Bank’s Report on the Global Commodity Markets Outlook for 2020,” presented by John Baffes, senior economist for The World Bank USA. Jin Xu, president of the China Association of International Trade, will speak about “China’s Position on Foreign Trade and Investment Policy and Strategy to Drive Global Growth.” The final keynote speech will cover the “Hainan Free Trade Zone Eco-Agricultural Economy Development Outlook.”
 
Day two sees the start of the exhibition while continuing the natural rubber economic discussion. Day three wraps up the conference with tours of Hainan Rubber’s AI and robotics enabled plantation, the Hainan Rubber processing plant, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences Experiment Station, and the Hainan Rubber Museum.
 
Global Rubber Conference is designed to support the growth of the rubber industry by delivering objectives, accurate updates, and the latest information on R&D to conference delegates while providing an excellent platform to discuss commercial prospects and opportunities to create better understanding of rubber market pricing. The event provides these opportunities in collaboration with the Haikou Municipal People's Government, Department of Agriculture and Rural Areas of Hainan Province, Haikou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, International Rubber Research & Development Board (IRRDB), International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), Confexhub Group, China (Sanya) Public Diplomacy Institute, Hainan Nongken (HaiNan Rubber) Group and Zhihai Wangchao communication group.
 
Admission to the exhibition is free. For more information about GRC2019, please visit https://www.globalrubberconference.com/
 
Smithers is a media partner of the Global Rubber Conference.