The International Colloquium on Plastics Engineering 2022 focused on sustainability. Hydrogen economy and plastic recycling were the overarching topics of the plenary speeches. The orientation of the theme sessions was much more concrete - keynote speakers and IKV scientists demonstrated new research findings in various areas, from additive manufacturing and digitization to welding and joining techniques.
Already in his opening speech, Prof. Christian Hopmann made it clear that - not only in the plastics industry - all signs point to crisis. The industry is confronted with massive problems in energy supply and supply bottlenecks, and this at a time when the previous corona crisis has not even been overcome to the end. The long-standing shortage of skilled workers also continues to cause problems for companies. Therefore, it is all the more urgent to come together within the industry and jointly seek solutions. The colloquium, as a networking platform, offered an excellent starting point for this. 600 participants came to Aachen on September 7th and 8th to participate in lectures and discussions and to develop sustainable strategies.