Circular Valley Convention 2026

Conference with trade show / March 11, 2026 - March 12, 2026

Fraunhofer CCPE at the Circular Valley Convention 2026

Following its successful launch in 2025, the Circular Valley Convention will enter its second round in 2026. It covers all dimensions of the industrial circular economy and brings together decision-makers from business, research, politics, and society.

The convention includes conferences, an expo, and events, and promotes exchange and innovation in the circular economy. Fraunhofer CCPE will be present again in 2026 with conference contributions and a booth, showcasing:

AI in the plastics industry: In addition to the launch of our position paper “Use of AI in plastics value creation by 2030” on March 12, 2026, in our Masterclass, visitors to the booth can “prompt” what they think the plastics world might look like in five years.
Recycling: Two presentations on stage will focus in particular on chemical recycling. At our booth, we will be showcasing our recycling cascade, a combination of three technologies for producing high-quality plastic recyclates from materials that are difficult to recycle.
Circular reusable transport box: Sustainable solution for food shipping, made of monomaterial and with strict cold chain requirements.
Child seat demonstrator: Modular, repairable prototype made of bioplastics, combining circular design and a monomaterial approach.

We look forward to discussing our other services, which support companies along the entire value chain.

The Circular Valley Convention is organized by Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with the Circular Valley Foundation and with scientific support from Fraunhofer UMSICHT.

Event details

Program

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

10 a.m. bis 10 a.m.: Opening with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner,
Head of Fraunhofer CCPE und Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Main Stage
2 p.m. bis 2:45 p.m.: Fraunhofer CCPE Session: Chemical Recycling, moderated by Prof. Dr. Matthias Franke, Fraunhofer CCPE und Director Institute Branch Sulzbach-Rosenberg Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Innovation Stage
- Organic carbonates as additives for polymer compounds, Torsten Müller, Fraunhofer CCPE and Fraunhofer ICT
- Why do we need advanced recycling technologies?, Dr. Andreas Mäurer, Fraunhofer CCPE and Fraunhofer IVV
- Post-treatment of aromatic-rich pyrolysis oils from electrical and electronic waste and mixed plastic waste, Dr. Alexander Hofmann, Fraunhofer CCPE and Fraunhofer UMSICHT

Thursday, March 12, 2026

11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: »Germany as an Industrial Power? – Ideas for a Strong Location Using the Plastics Industry as an Example« Panel Discussion with our Head of Cluster Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner, Main Stage
2:30 p.m. bis 2:45 p.m.: Keynote by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Franke, Fraunhofer CCPE and Director Institute Branch Sulzbach-Rosenberg Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Main Stage
3 p.m. bis 4 p.m.: Masterclass »CCPE – AI in the plastics sector«, Dr. Markus Hiebel, Dr. Anna Kerps (both Fraunhofer CCPE and Fraunhofer UMSICHT) and Jan-Philip Kopka (Fraunhofer CCPE and Fraunhofer IML), Innovation Stage

The complete program for the Circular Valley Convention can be found here.

Registration

You can register as an exhibitor and partner here.

You can book tickets to attend the Circular Valley Convention here.

Costs

Registration for exhibitors and visitors is now open.

Location

Dusseldorf, Areal Böhler

Organization

Circular Valley Stiftung
Messe Düsseldorf

Language

English, German