Can you tell us about the role and challenges of this association in the pollution sector?
The ASPEC association was created in 1971 for the world of microelectronics, which is extremely sensitive to airborne dust. But from the outset, it turned out that controlling pollution is a broader issue that affects practically all industrial sectors that use controlled environments (pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical devices, microelectronics, space, optics, agri-food, cosmetics, etc.). Clean rooms or clean rooms make it possible to protect a process, a product or a patient (in the hospital sector) from contamination, be it particulate, microbiological or chemical.
The role of the association, a French professional organization, is to federate all the French-speaking actors of pollution and this, for more than 50 years:
· scientific researchers;
· suppliers offering technical solutions (products or services);
· users of clean rooms, who need information, technical or commercial relations with the different suppliers according to very varied themes.
Contamination control in a process can be compared to a chain with different links:
· the first link is the “airtight box” that meets specific criteria (example: the P4 laboratory in Wuhan is a clean room);
· The second link is the air treatment system, which is the interface between the polluted external world and the controlled internal world;
· The third link is the operational team, the laboratory equipment up to the uniforms of the personnel, as well as the training of the personnel.
What are the challenges of the pollution sector?
Controlling pollution in controlled environments is a daily challenge for the association. Federating a network of 1,000 members, while integrating new players, is a real challenge. We have several levers to achieve this:
· Affiliation offers any member a series of advantages, in particular the connection between the different actors in the network, whether for a technical or scientific question, or to find new generation equipment.
· ASPEC organizes many events (scientific conferences and trade fairs).
· The association raises awareness and trains staff to fight against the kingdom of the invisible. As a training organization, the association intervenes both with a general approach and on slightly more specific topics, such as air treatment, energy efficiency of pollution, particle control. The technical and educational content aspect is emphasized to create training modules based on the business skills of the network experts. The objective is that the staff develop their skills and work according to the rules of the art in accordance with the demanding normative and regulatory context.
· ASPEC also has the task of publishing technical guides, state-of-the-art standards.
· The association can also be commissioned as an objective and independent association by industrialists to carry out audits and expert reports.
What are the trends in the pollution market in France?
Since the health crisis, the growth of the cleanroom market has been increasing. This is due in particular to the reinstatement of certain strategic productions in France. In particular, we see fast-growing sectors such as microelectronics, medical devices or space (the new space).
The medical device market, after the case of breast prostheses, has seen its regulations evolve since now a European directive monitors medical device manufacturing companies much more closely.
In the hospital sector, and even more so after the health crisis, there is also a strong evolution and awareness for the fight against nosocomial infections.
Finally, new emerging sectors are appearing, such as battery production, which will become relevant in the next decade.
What are the values of your association?
ASPEC has many commitments to its members.
· His position of objectivity and independence is essential in his role. It is based on the normative context, the regulations and the rules of art.
· ASPEC contributes to the presidency of the AFNOR commission, the French standardization body, dedicated to clean room technologies. Our technical and regulatory approach guarantees this objectivity, relying on ASPEC members who are experts in their field and guarantees this independence in defending French interests by working on international standards.
· ASPEC was, 10 years ago, recognized as being of public utility, particularly with our participation in the hospital sector, the training of health personnel and the fight against nosocomial infections.
· The strength of our network is to federate all the players. The better we spread the “good word”, the more effective we will be.
They are organizing the Contaminexpo exhibition in 2023; Can you tell us about this event?
The ASPEC association organizes Contaminexpo, the reference fair for more than 35 years associated with the Contaminexpert scientific congress. This event will take place from March 28 to 30, 2023 in Hall 5 of Paris Porte de Versailles. It is the crossroads of all discussions on the subject of pollution. It brings together speakers, business experts and multi-sector field experts. Many current topics will be discussed: energy efficiency and associated savings, the normative and regulatory context, but also biocontamination and monitoring tools.
In this exhibition, technical presentations of workshops will be presented, as well as life-size clean rooms so that visitors can become aware of all the technicality and technology they contain. A virtual clean room will also be featured.
This content was produced with SCRIBEO. The BFMBUSINESS editorial team was not involved in the production of this content.
Source: BFM TV
