VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery, Thorsten Kuehmann: K is a seismograph for the innovative strength of the plastics and rubber industry

Thorsten Kuehmann, Managing Director of VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery, for South-East European Industrial Market Magazine

According to VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery, Europe is the top producer and exporter of machinery and equipment for the plastic and rubber industry worldwide. In the current complex geopolitical and economic situation, what are the steps that should be taken in order to maintain Europe’s leadership position?

European manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery are resilient. These are well-positioned companies, financially and structurally and many of them family-owned. They pursue a long-term strategy that is measured in generations. This is why research and development are of great importance in securing the innovative edge. In addition, many of these companies have a large global footprint to support the average export share of 80 percent. Important supplier countries in addition to Europe are China and the USA. Here, it is important to expand the existing branches and focus more on diversifying production. This creates secure supply chains in the long term and brings additional price advantages. The combination of innovation, structurally resilient positioning and global footprint is the recipe for success.

VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery strongly promotes and supports the transition to a circular economy in the plastic industry. What concrete initiatives are you undertaking to convince companies from the sector that this is really important and that investments in circular economy are really worth it?

The transformation process currently taking place in the plastics industry towards a circular economy, zero carbon emissions and digitalization has a firm foundation in Europe. It follows a social change that is also anchored in companies. This is the reason why the upcoming K 2025 has the motto: "The Power of Plastics – Green, Smart, Responsible" on the initiative of the plastics industry. So, the companies in the plastics and rubber machinery industry do not have to be convinced to go down this path, they have already moved in this direction years ago.

As associations of the plastics industry in Germany, GKV – the German Association of Plastics Converters and its supporting associations, Plastics Europe Germany and VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery, as well as the waste management and recycling industry organizations BDE and bvse have positioned ourselves accordingly and launched a joint paper along the value chain for the 2nd time. The paper outlines the conditions that must be met in order to transform the plastics industry from a linear to circular economy.

These include EU-wide recycling-friendly product design; Improving separate collection and sorting; Further expansion of the domestic market for plastics recycling; EU-wide end to the disposal of used plastics; Taking measures to protect the environment from plastic waste, etc. Significantly accelerating the transformation to a circular economy requires also comprehensive modernization of planning laws and expansion of renewable energies, setting financial incentives and strengthening European market supervision for products from third countries.

In the context of the current challenges that the sector is facing, what are your expectations for K 2025? How important are events like K for the further development of the sector?

K 2025 means a great deal for the plastics industry. It is a seismograph for the innovative strength of this strong industry worldwide, as 70 percent of the exhibitors and visitors are international. The plastics industry needs this platform, especially in times of major upheaval, in order to repeatedly position itself as an enabler for the industry worldwide. Without plastics, there would be no mobility, no basic food supply, no electronics and no modern houses. At the same time, it enables sustainable development because it is recyclable. K has the power to show these important findings and to reflect the latest technical achievements.