ABOUT APEST

The Asia-Pacific Elastomer Science& Technology (APEST) is a forum for scientists and technologists engaged in the rubber industry to exchange and enhance knowledge and skills through technical training programmes and conferences to enable the Asia-Pacific region to become a centre of excellence for the elastomer industry.


APEST MEMBER

Dr. R.K. Matthan
Managing Director,Polymer Consultancy Services (P)Ltd,
Email: rkmatthan@gmail.com 
Dr. Matthan currently the R&D and Technology Adviser for Revertex (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Director of Revertex-KA Latex (India) Pvt Ltd sits on the board of a board of several corporations based in India. He was part of the team tasked with the development of natural rubber and rubber based industries in manufacturing in South Asia (ANRPC/ADB Programme) and also introduced the marketing and manufacture of Technically Specified Natural Rubber into India. Through the years, as Adviser for India of the Malaysian Rubber Board, he has promoted NR as an environment friendly, sustainable and renewable resource in India and South Asia. He is adviser to a few leading national research bodies and a member of the Governing Council of key rubber related institutes and associations in India. Dr. Matthan after his undergraduate studies at Delhi University (1957-61), completed his postgraduate studies with a PhD (Polymer Chemistry-Synthetic Rubber Emulsion Polymerisation) at the National College of Rubber Technology, London (1962-68). He was the first PhD student of Dr.D.C.Blackley (High Polymer Latices, Synthetic Rubber and Emulsion Polymerisation are the standard latex reference works).  He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (U.K.), the National College Rubber Technology (U.K.) and the Indian Rubber Institute. He was awarded the prestigious K.M.Philip Award (2005-06) for significant contributions to the Rubber Industry.  

Christie F. Robert,
Managing Director, qa plus asia-pacific sdn. Bhd.,
Email: qaplus.asiapacific@gmail.com  
Mr. Robert is the Chairman of ISO/TC45. He worked for several years in the rubber industry in the United Kingdom before returning to Malaysia in 1969 to join the Guthrie Plantation Group, serving in various positions before being appointed as the Controller for Rubber and Cocoa. He then joined STIK Polymers in 1995 as the Senior Vice-President and promoted a unique rubber recycling technology in Asia, Europe and North America. In1998, he started his own consultancy companies CDR stats-Tech Services and Qa Plus Asia-Pacific, providing training and technical advisory services to the rubber industry and the agricultural sector. He served as the Chairman of the Malaysian Rubber Producer’s Technical Committee from 1983-1995 and also served as the Chairman of the National Committee of Standards for Rubber and Rubber Products from 1983-2005. He is and Associate Graduate of the National College of Rubber Technology, London.

Dr.Sanit Samosorn
Managing Director, T.R.I.Global Co.,Ltd./Publisher & Editor of The Rubber International Magazine,
Email: director@rubbmag.com
He joined the Rubber Division, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives during 1962 – 1998. During his 36 years with government services and 10 years to date he has all the time working in rubber sector. He was a scholarship under Colombo Plan and a FAO Fellow to carry out his M.Sc. and Ph.D degrees abroad respectively. He was Director of Rubber Research Institute of Thailand and subsequently Deputy Director- General of the Department of Agriculture before his retirement. While working with government he did a lot of R & D works especially with FAO specialists during UNDP/World Bank rubber programme to bring Thailand as the world largest rubber producer and exporter. He was only one representative from Thailand who accompanied the Rubber Mission together with French, Indonesian and Malaysian to make a study and survey for rubber germplasm collection in South American countries during the First Rubber Expedition. He was delegate and head of delegates attended several international meetings and conferences globally over 50 countries such as the forums of IRRDB, ANRPC, INRO, IRSG and both Second and Third Renegotiation of International Rubber Agreement at UNCTAD, Geneva.