Symposium "Industrial Biotechnology as a Basis for Sustainable Plastics, Adhesives and Composites".

Last Thursday, on September 28, 2023, the symposium "Industrial Biotechnology as a Basis for Sustainable Plastics, Adhesives and Composites" took place on the campus of Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences - Pirmasens Campus. The conference took place within the framework of the regional joint project Waste2Value and offered exciting insights into the diverse potentials of so-called white biotechnology.

Dr. Dröge, the person responsible for the Waste2Value project at the PFI and head of the Biotechnology Department, gave a presentation on the W2V project "Technology2Value", which is being led by the PFI and in which important process engineering principles are being developed for the alliance.
The event offered a unique opportunity to receive impulses from leading experts. This is because the presentations and discussions covered a wide range of topics, including alternatives to conventional food oils, sustainable products in the area of pesticides, colorants and flavorings, as well as the diverse starting points of the various Waste2Value subprojects. A highlight of the symposium were the topic-related workshops, which promoted the exchange of experiences and provided space for in-depth discussions. In this way, perspectives and ideas could also be contributed by the participants and enabled an intensive exchange of knowledge.In addition, the event also provided a great opportunity to make valuable contacts. For example, the biotechnology commissioner of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Prof. Eckard Thines, and also Dr. Kunsmann-Keitel and Dr. Mross from the chemical company BASF were present as representatives of the industry.
All in all, the Waste2Value symposium was a successful and informative event, which helped to raise awareness of the versatile applications of biotechnology and to discuss further possible uses for the future.