ACHEMA: Historical Development

ACHEMA is an infamous show across the processing industries but where did all begin? In 1920. The event organisers, DECHEMA, give us a quick snapshot of how ACHEMA began.

Written by DECHEMA, the organisers of ACHEMA.

The first ACHEMA took place in 1920 in Hannover, driven by the idea to provide a platform for chemists and engineers where they could discuss the latest trends in their areas and lay the seed for cooperation. A special feature was the concept to stimulate discussion by the combination of congress and concrete exhibits.

After World War II, ACHEMA was established as a regular event in Frankfurt/Main with a three-year cycle ever since 1952. The range of exhibits and congress topics has evolved along with the increasing differentiation of chemical engineering, including process-integrated environmental protection and biotechnology. At ACHEMA 2009 , 3,767 exhibitors from 50 countries and 173,235 visitors from 100 countries explored 133,848 m² net exhibition space.