K 2025: Highlights of „Smart Saturday“ on 11 October

Smart Saturday at K 2025: Insights into AI along the plastics value chain Frankfurt am Main/Düsseldorf, 30 September 2025 - Smart Saturday, on 11 October, is the fourth theme day of K 2025, the world's leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. The program will focus entirely on how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital solutions are transforming the plastics industry. As part of the special show Plastics Shape the Future (Hall 6 / C40), researchers, start-ups and industry representatives will present practical AI applications - from material development to sustainability reporting. From research to practice The program begins with contributions from Raphael Kiesel (Rhode & Schwarz) and Stefan Thomas (LabV) on the role of AI in research and development. Later sessions will feature, among others, Dennis Krause (Covestro) and Natalie Rudolph (NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing), who will highlight how simulation and data analysis open up new possibilities for material use. The day will conclude with presentations by Lars Börger (nova-Institute) and Andrea Büttner (Fraunhofer IVV) on the opportunities and limitations of digitalization in the plastics industry. "Smart materials need smart systems" The highlight of the day will be the PlastXnow Expert Talk (15:45-16:30 CEST) under the title Smart materials need smart systems - AI in connection with new materials, recyclates and bio-compounds. The discussion will focus on how AI can contribute to more sustainable and efficient plastics processing. AI can detect material fluctuations at an early stage, automatically adjust processes and ensure quality standards in real time. This opens up new opportunities for targeted use of recyclates, stable processing of bio-compounds and the integration of innovative materials into series production. Industry experts including Matthias Schulz (Otto Krahn Group), Christian Schiller (Cirplus), Christoph Kugler (SKZ), Dr. Mirko Rennert (Twins Crew GmbH), Dr. Johannes Kilian (Engel Austria) and Dr.-Ing. Florian Linscheid (materAlze) will provide hands-on insights, showing how AI supports the path towards circularity and optimises production processes. The session will also allow direct exchange with the speakers and networking opportunities. The discussion will be moderated by Stefan Lenz and Simone Fischer (PlastXnow). Smart Saturday - Program Overview (11. October 2025, Hall 6 / C40) Date & TimeSpeaker/Host*Sat, 10:30 - 10:45 (CEST)Introduction:AI & Digitalization for a Plastics Circular EconomySpeaker/Host:Raphael Kiesel, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Sat, 10:45 - 11:15 (CEST)Expert Talk:AI-Powered Material Intelligence: Accelerating R&D that Enables Sustainable InnovationSpeaker/Host:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Dr. Stefan Thomas, Managing Director (LabV)Sat, 11:15 - 11:45 (CEST)Expert Talk:Plastics.AISpeaker/Host*:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Mark Smith, Director (Carl Hanser Verlag)Sat, 12:15 - 12:45 (CEST)Expert Talk:Foaming Simulation and AI: Paths to Smarter MaterialsSpeaker/Host*:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Dennis Krause, Program Manager Digital R&D (Covestro)Sat, 12:45 - 13:15(CEST)Expert Talk:ML-enhanced DSC - Advancing Identification and Quantification of Recyclate CompositionsSpeaker/Host*:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Natalie Rudolph, Division Manager Polymer (NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing)Sat, 13:15 - 13:45 (CEST)Expert Talk:AI threat or opportunity for science-based industrySpeaker/Host:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Lars Börger, co-CEO (nova-Institute)Sat, 13:45 - 14:15 (CEST)Expert Talk:Digitalization, modeling and AI: How much of it is needed in the material world?Speaker/Host:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Prof. Dr. Andrea Büttner, Head of Institute (Fraunhofer IVV)Sat, 14:15 - 14:45 (CEST)Introduction:Digitalization as enabler for the circular economy of plasticsSpeaker/Host*:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Prof. Dr. Holger Ruckdäschel, Head of the Chair of Polymer Materials (Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bayreuth)Sat, 14:45 - 15:15 (CEST)Expert Talk:DPP made easy - Digital product passport made easySpeaker/Host*:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Benedikt Brenken, Director rCycle and Catena-X Initiative (Reifenhauser Group)Dr. Andreas Wollny, Global Digital Expert Data Ecosystems (BASF)Sat, 15:15 - 15:45 (CEST)Expert Talk:AI for Sustainability Reporting: The role of AI in sustainability reportingSpeaker/Host*:Raphael Kiesel*, Head of Strategy (Rhode & Schwarz)Sebastian Kühn, Director (Stakeholder Reporting GmbH)Sat, 15:45 - 16:30 (CEST)Panel Discussion (GER):"Smart materials need smart systems"Focus: AI in connection with new materials, recycled materials, and bio-compoundsSpeaker/Host:Stefan Lenz*, Editor-in-Chief (PlastXNow)Simone Fischer*, Senior Editor (PlastXNow)Matthias Schulz, Head of Strategy (Otto Krahn Group)Christian Schiller, CEO (Cirplus)Christoph Kugler, Division Lead Digitization (SKZ)Dr. Mirko Rennert, CEO (Twins Crew GmbH)Dr. Johannes Kilian, Head of Process andApplication Engineering (Engel Austria)Dr.-Ing Florian Linscheid, Co-founder (materAlze) The full program of the special show is available here: https://plasticseurope.org/de/plastics-shape-the-future-k-2025/#program About K 2025 K 2025 will take place from 8 to 15 October 2025 at Messe Düsseldorf and is regarded as the world's leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. More than 200,000 visitors from around 160 countries are expected. Press photos of K 2025 and the special show Plastics Shape the Future are available for free download here: https://plasticseurope.org/de/pressemitteilungen/ [Link]On Smart Saturday at K 2025, the special show Plastics Shape the Future showcases how artificial intelligence and digital solutions are transforming the plastics industry - with practical examples from research, material development, and sustainability reporting. Additional resources Program of the special exhibition "Plastics Shape the Future" K 2025 Website Press photos of the special exhibition "Plastics Shape the Future" About Plastics Europe Deutschland PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V. is the association of plastics producers in Germany. The association is a trade association of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and part of the European network Plastics Europe, with representation in Brussels and the European economic centers and capitals. Your contact at Plastics Europe Deutschland Bettina DempewolfHead of Communications+49 171 [email protected] Link to press portal Including press photos of the K 2025 special show "Plastics Shape the Future"