Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer gets to know Waste2Value

On 12 August 2025, Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer visited the Pirmasens campus of Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences to learn about the Waste2Value research alliance. The project uses microorganisms to transform organic waste into valuable materials – an important contribution to sustainability and climate protection.

Other well-known guests attended the event, including Mayor Markus Zwick, state parliament representatives Christof Reichert and Steven Wink, and former Pirmasens Mayor Bernhard Matheis.

PFI presents biotechnological innovations

At the Technikum of the Testing and Research Institute Pirmasens (PFI), Dr Thomas Fiehn demonstrated processes that use waste to produce bio-based plastics, adhesives and other sustainable products. Together with the university and the ZukunftsRegion Westpfalz (Future Region of Western Palatinate), the PFI is working to bring these technologies from the laboratory to industrial application.

Algae diversity on the Pirmasens campus

At the Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences' algae technology centre, Dr Michael Lakatos presented the Minister President with one of the world's most diverse collections of microalgae. These algae bind CO₂, produce valuable biomass and serve as the basis for bio-based plastics, food supplements and cosmetic raw materials

Sustainable structural change in the Western Palatinate

‘Creating value from waste – that is a vision that is within reach with Waste2Value,’ emphasised Minister President Schweitzer. He highlighted the central importance of such projects for a climate-friendly economy and the strengthening of the Western Palatinate.

The alliance combines traditional expertise from the footwear and textile industries with modern bioprocess engineering. The aim is to create a circular economy that reduces CO₂ emissions and creates new economic opportunities for the region.

Looking Ahead

With projects such as Waste2Value, the PFI and its partners are sending a strong signal for sustainable innovations ‘Made in Westpfalz’. The combination of research, practical relevance and regional cooperation shows how visionary ideas can be turned into marketable solutions – for the benefit of the economy, the environment and society.