We're approaching the end of our series WHAT HIGHTECH IS MADE OF with Plastics Europe Deutschland — and there's one big question we still need to answer:

If Germany has world-class research and engineering, why is turning innovation into industrial reality still so difficult?

In this episode of, we speak with Prof. Dr. Manfred Renner and Prof. Dr. Matthias Franke from Fraunhofer Umsicht about what happens between a promising scientific breakthrough and a technology that actually works at scale.

And surprisingly, the biggest obstacles aren't always technological.

We discuss:

• Why promising recycling technologies struggle to move from pilot projects to industrial scale

• Why trust, regulatory certainty and investment confidence are just as important as innovation itself

• What Fraunhofer's chemical recycling map reveals about the gap between ambition and reality

• Why collaboration across the entire value chain is essential to make circular solutions work

The key takeaway? Great research is only the beginning. Without reliable frameworks, market demand and the confidence to invest, even the best technologies can remain stuck in the lab.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

What do humanoid robots, artificial skin and innovative medical devices have in common?

They all depend on materials that make new technologies possible. But turning promising ideas into reality takes more than scientific breakthroughs.

In this episode of we speak with Andreas Binder, Head of Sustainability Transformation and Business Building at Covestro, about how material innovation becomes commercially viable and scalable.

We discuss:

• How high-performance polymers enable the next generation of robotics, from lightweight structures to artificial skin

• Why successful innovation starts with real customer needs, not just interesting ideas

• How circular and lower-carbon materials can create commercial value

• What Germany needs to turn scientific excellence into scalable businesses

The key takeaway? Innovation needs three things: the right technology, a supporting ecosystem and a convincing business case.

And sometimes, the most meaningful innovations aren't the most spectacular ones. They can be as simple as a medical compression sock that makes everyday life easier.

One thing is clear: plastics are often the invisible enablers of tomorrow's technologies. But great ideas alone are not enough.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

When we talk about plastics, we often think about packaging, recycling and waste. But what about the plastics that become part of the human body — sometimes for decades?

In the latest episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland, we speak with Marc Knebel and Alexander Paasche from Evonik about a fascinating side of material innovation: high-performance polymers that are helping shape the future of medical care.

From personalized skull implants made with 3D printing to hip implants for dogs, the applications are as surprising as they are meaningful. At the center of the conversation is PEEK, a high-performance polymer that can offer an alternative to metal in certain medical applications.

We discuss:

• How advanced plastics are enabling new possibilities for medical implants — including patient-specific solutions

• Why 3D printing is changing how implants are designed and manufactured, bringing surgeons and engineers closer together

• What it takes to develop materials that must meet the highest standards of safety, biocompatibility and long-term performance

• How reusable medical instruments, more efficient manufacturing and alternatives to metal can contribute to more sustainable healthcare

One of the most striking insights from the conversation is that innovation isn't always about producing more material. Sometimes, a few grams of the right polymer can make an extraordinary difference.

And while the technology continues to evolve, the ultimate goal remains the same: better patient care, improved quality of life and medical solutions that can benefit more people.

Sometimes the most impactful applications of plastics are the ones we never see.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Circular plastics are no longer just a sustainability ambition. They are becoming a strategic business opportunity. But what will it take to move from early adopters to industry-wide adoption?

In the latest episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland, we speak with Dirk Langhammer from Borouge International about the future of circular plastics and what needs to happen to make circularity the norm rather than the exception.

From mechanical and chemical recycling to renewable and CO₂-based feedstocks, the technologies are evolving. But technology alone isn't enough. Scaling circularity requires market demand, investment, collaboration across the value chain and a regulatory framework that creates long-term certainty.

We discuss:

• Why mechanical recycling remains the backbone of circular plastics — and where newer technologies can complement it

• How mandatory recycled-content targets can create demand and unlock investment across the circular value chain

• Why Europe is leading the circular transition in some areas, but bureaucracy and slow approval processes risk holding back progress

• How brands, recyclers and material producers can work together to make circular solutions commercially attractive

For Dirk, the outlook is optimistic. Circularity isn't just about reducing environmental impact. It's also about cost efficiency, reliable supply chains and resource security.

The opportunity is there. The technologies are developing. Now it's about creating the conditions for circular plastics to compete, scale and become part of everyday industrial practice.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

PVC has been around for decades — and so have many of the perceptions surrounding it. But how much has the material, and the industry behind it, changed?

In the latest episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland we speak with Alexander Kronimus from VinylPlus Deutschland about taking a fresh look at PVC: where it is used, why durability matters, and how the industry is working to make an already long-lasting material more circular.

From window frames and cable insulation to medical applications and, of course, vinyl records, PVC is often an invisible part of the products and infrastructure around us.

We discuss:

• Why circularity starts with smart product design — not just recycling

• How durability and energy efficiency can make PVC an important material for buildings and infrastructure

• How the industry is addressing legacy additives while developing new recycling technologies

• How recycled and non-fossil feedstocks, renewable energy and innovation could further reduce PVC’s environmental footprint

Perhaps one of the most interesting takeaways is that sustainability isn’t simply about replacing materials. It’s about looking at their entire life cycle — how they are produced, how long they perform, and what happens when they finally reach the end of their useful life.

Sometimes that means looking at a familiar material with fresh eyes.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

What does it take to make industry truly future-ready?

In this episode, we speak with Gunther Weidinger, founder and chairman of Estanium and former Siemens executive, about how manufacturing can become more connected, resilient, intelligent, sustainable and people-centric — or, in one word: CRISP.

Drawing on more than three decades of industrial experience, Gunther shares why the biggest challenges facing manufacturing cannot be tackled in isolation. Digitalization, resilience, sustainability, AI and people all need to become part of the same transformation.

We discuss:

• What CRISP manufacturing means — and why factories need a more holistic approach to transformation

• How trusted data sharing can create transparency across complex supply chains

• Why circularity can strengthen both sustainability and industrial resilience

• Why technology alone is not enough — and the role trust, collaboration and people play in making transformation work

And the conversation continues in Munich!

📅 On October 20, Gunter will moderate the Munich Climate Week event “Your Suppliers Own Your 2030 Emissions Target”, with Matt joining the panel alongside experts from procurement, supply chain and sustainability.

The discussion will explore one of the key themes from our conversation: how companies can turn supply-chain decarbonization ambitions into measurable action.

Register here: Your Suppliers Own Your 2030 Emissions Target — Munich Climate Week

The technologies are evolving quickly. But building the future of manufacturing is about more than adopting the latest tools. It is about connecting technology, sustainability, resilience and people into one coherent industrial system.

Or, as Gunter puts it: keeping it CRISP.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — and see you at Munich Climate Week!

Another episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland is out! This time, we look at why successful recycling often starts long before a product reaches the end of its life — at the design stage.

We speak with Dr. Alexander Azzawi from Evonik about the technologies that can make plastics easier to separate, repair and recycle.

From inks that can be washed off packaging to adhesives designed to debond on demand, Alex shows how innovations at the design stage can enable higher-quality recycling and more circular material flows.

We discuss:

• How de-inking technology can improve the quality of recycled plastics

• How “debonding on demand” can make products easier to repair, disassemble and recycle

• Why circular solutions require collaboration across the entire value chain

• Why designing for recyclability is becoming increasingly important as circularity requirements reshape the market

Circularity doesn’t begin at the recycling plant. Increasingly, it begins with the choices we make when products and materials are designed.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jens Hamprecht,  VP Global Plastics Steering Committee & Sustainability at BASF, about the transformation of the plastics industry and why circularity is becoming increasingly important for Europe's industrial future.

From innovative recycling technologies to reducing dependence on imported resources, Jens shares his perspective on the opportunities and challenges of building a circular plastics industry.

We discuss:

• How BASF is advancing circular plastics through innovative recycling technologies and industry collaborations

• Why scaling circular solutions requires market demand, investment and collaboration across the value chain

• How circularity can strengthen Europe's industrial resilience and resource independence
  Why clear and stable regulatory frameworks are essential to accelerate the transition

• Circularity is no longer just an environmental ambition. It is becoming a strategic opportunity to strengthen Europe's industrial future.

Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Last week in Berlin, Germany’s innovation ambitions took center stage. Our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland continues with another example of the technologies and companies shaping its industrial future.

We speak with Melanie Hackler and Eva Kamp from matterr about what happens after you develop a promising recycling technology: how do you actually scale it into an industrial business?

matterr has developed a chemical recycling process that breaks polyester-rich waste back down into its original building blocks. Those recycled monomers can then be used again in existing polyester production — turning waste into a new raw material.

But technology alone doesn’t create a circular economy. Scaling requires reliable waste streams, sorting infrastructure, customers, investment and an ecosystem capable of bringing all of those pieces together.

We discuss:

• How matterr’s technology tackles complex polyester waste that conventional recycling struggles with
  What it takes to move from a pilot plant to industrial scale

• Why circular materials have to compete with linear production systems optimized over decades — and the role regulation and investment can play in enabling the transition

• Why Germany’s infrastructure, expertise and industrial ecosystem can provide a strong foundation for scaling the next generation of circular technologies

The technology is there. The need is clear. The challenge is taking circular solutions from promising innovations to competitive industrial scale.

Because for circular technologies to matterr, they have to scale.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!