On 24th June 2009, pinfa organised its first bridge-building workshop. Over 50 participants came from Europe, Canada, Japan and the US. Representatives from international regulators (European Commission, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Environment Canada), national research institutes and the entire supply chain (manufacturers, downstream users, retailers and big brand names) all contributed to the success of this dynamic event.
The objective of the workshop was to begin a constructive network were manufacturers of alternative flame retardant technologies can interact with direct users along the supply chain – right down to the retailer/brand owner, as well as other stakeholders such as regulators and research institutions – in order to understand their drivers, needs, and the technologies they seek.
This first pinfa workshop made a big step towards fostering mutual understanding between the supply chain on the different needs and drivers of each group and went a long way towards clarifying the key issues for flame retardants, how to improve communication throughout the supply chain and how to approach the future of flame retardancy.