Awarding ceremony and live presentation at the international Congress „BIOPOLYMER - PROCESSING & MOULDING“
Objective
With the BIOPOLYMER Innovation Award, the non-profit association POLYKUM aims to recognize pioneering products and applications made from bio-based, biodegradable plastics and the technologies developed for them. The award ceremony takes place at the international congress "BIOPOLYMER - Processing & Molding", where the award-winning projects are also made accessible to a wide audience. In the past two years, the event was attended by spectators from more than 40 countries on five continents. The aim of the event is to encourage material and product developers, manufacturers, processors and players from a wide range of industries to use and further develop the products and to promote exchange between them.
Conditions of participation
Eligible persons
Companies, research institutions and associations, project groups or individuals from all over the world and all sectors with self-developed products or applications made of bioplastics or pioneering technologies for their production, processing and utilization can apply for the award. Applications can be submitted by the originators of the innovations themselves or by external third parties.
Participation criteria
Developments and inventions from the following areas can be submitted for the competition:
- Pioneering products or applications made from bio-based and biodegradable plastics. Intrinsic biodegradability and environmental compatibility of the submitted plastic products and/or materials are required. Intrinsic biodegradability means that the materials used can be metabolized by microorganisms and enzymes at the end of their useful life and thus become part of the natural cycle. Certified biodegradability is not necessarily a prerequisite.
- Only if objective technical reasons rule out biodegradability (e.g. due to safety regulations or physical conditions) can particularly innovative bio-based but non-biodegradable materials and products also take part in the competition.
- Innovative technologies that significantly simplify, make more effective or raise the production, processing or utilization (e.g. recycling, composting) of biopolymers to a new level of quality.
The innovations should have passed the basic research stage and have a realistic chance of entering the market or have already been successfully placed on the market.
Application deadline
Applications can be submitted until April 11, 2025.
Documents
For further details, please refer to the complete invitation to tender.
Award
Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are key materials for eco-efficient material cycles, an environment free of microplastics and minimizing the use of fossil raw materials. However, research and development activities in this area are still in their infancy. Plastics and products with these quality characteristics are still little known and widespread. Against this background, the non-profit association POLYKUM 2024 is presenting the international BIOPOLYMER Innovation Award in order to raise awareness of pioneering innovations in the field of bioplastics, promote their dissemination and support cross-industry cooperation between experts.
Awards & prizes
Award Ceremony
The official award ceremony will take place during the international congress “BIOPOLYMER - Processing & Moulding”, which will be held on June 17, 2025 in Halle (Saale) and as an online event.
Prizes
In addition to the main prize, which is endowed with prize money of 2,000 euros, a second and a third prize (both not endowed) will also be awarded. All prize winners will also be given the opportunity to present their innovation in a lecture at the “BIOPOLYMER - Processing & Molding 2024” congress. POLYKUM will also support the award winners with press and public relations work.
Winner 2024 - Border crossers win the race
Successful research is created above all where experts venture into unfamiliar specialist areas. The winners of the BIOPOLYMER Innovation Awards 2024 are impressive proof of this once again:
A chemist develops a biodegradable film entirely without plastic. A student experiences experiments in New Zealand on the production of fuels from wood fibers and develops the idea for a highly efficient process for the production of succinic acid. A pharmacist and a medical technician use pharmaceutical technologies to specifically control the decomposition of bioplastics. And three plastics professionals find a way to make it easier for forestry companies to regenerate their forests.
The award ceremony at the BIOPOLYMER Congress in Halle was once again a celebration of unconventional thinking.
1st prize
Innovation: Biodegradable and recyclable cellulose packaging film
2nd prize
Innovation: Microwave-assisted technology for the production of succinic acid
3rd prize
Innovation: Algae-based decomposition regulator for bioplastics
3rd prize
Innovation: CroPro© Biopolymer wildlife browsing protection for conifers
Jury & selection process
The winners are selected from all the entries by the jury appointed by Polykum, which includes the following experts from business, science and the media: (Naming in alphabetical order)
- Dr. Martin Bussmann, Expert Renewable Polymers and Chemicals
- Simone Fischer, editor of the specialist magazine “Plastverarbeiter”, Hüthig GmbH, Heidelberg.
- Dr. Patrick Hirsch, expert for bioplastics at the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Systems (IMWS) Halle (Saale) and at the Fraunhofer Pilot Plant Center (PAZ) Schkopau.
- Peter Putsch, Chairman of POLYKUM e. V. - Fördergemeinschaft für Polymerentwicklung und Kunststofftechnik in Mitteldeutschland, Merseburg.
- Michael Walter, Business Development Manager, Hexpol TPE GmbH, Lichtenfels
The award winners are nominated on the basis of the award's published application criteria. All jury members have the same number and weighting of votes. Each member decides independently and autonomously on the allocation of their votes following joint consultation and assessment of the entries. Legal recourse is excluded.
Initiator and sponsor
Detailed information about POLYKUM e. V. can be found on the website polykum.de
Find out more about the BIOPOLYMER Congress.
Contact
Newsletter
Contact
Phone: +49 (3461) 7940320
E-Mail: biopolymer@polykum.de
Fördergemeinschaft für Polymerentwicklung und Kunststofftechnik
Peter Putsch
Brandisstraße 4
06217 Merseburg
Germany
Newsletter
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POLYKUM-Newsletter
POLYKUM e.V.
The Association for the Promotion of Polymer Development and Plastics Technology in Central Germany - POLYKUM e. V. sees its most important task in promoting the transfer of knowledge, innovation and technology and the cooperation of small and medium-sized companies in particular with each other and with science along the value chain. The diverse activities and measures for this include maintaining regular contact with members, organizing workshops and scientific events on industry-specific topics, and organizing joint stands at regional and international trade fairs.
Learn more about POLYKUM e.V.
