Science and industry exchange about CO2-neutral production

Prof. Dr. Frank Döpper, Chair of Environmentally Sound Production Technology, University of Bayreuth talks with Dr. Stefan Klumpp, Board of Directors, HAMM AG, Tirschenreuth about "The significance of CO2 in the product life cycle".

The desire of customers for "green" products, or at least products whose environmental impact measured in CO2 is known and thus comparable, is steadily increasing. Many companies are therefore confronted with the challenge of knowing and reducing the negative environmental impacts of their products or their production processes. In line with a holistic approach, all CO2-generating elements must be taken into account. The classification of direct emissions (Scope 1), emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2) and emissions in the product life cycle (Scope 3) recorded in Green House Gas can be of assistance here. The example of a construction machine in the road construction process illustrates the imperative prioritisation of corporate and political measures.

Prof. Dr Michael Nase, Head of the Institute for the Circular Economy of Bio:Polymers (ibp) , University of Applied Sciences, Hof discusses "The production of sustainable artificial snow" with Olaf Thannheiser, Managing Partner KomRec-ReCond GmbH, Wunsiedel.

Despite the summer temperatures, the desire for a white Christmas in any weather is great, especially on film sets or in shopping centres. A sustainable solution for artificial snow is currently not yet available on the market. In the ZIM project "BioArtificial Snow", KomRec ReCond GmbH and HAW Hof dealt with precisely this problem. The aim was to develop bio-based and compostable artificial snow as a sustainable alternative to artificial snow made from conventional plastics. The circular economy of all raw materials and consequently products made from them will become the dominant research and development topic of the next ten years in the field of materials science.

Christina Leinauer, research assistant at the Chair of Business Informatics and Digital Energy Management, University of Bayreuth discusses with Christian Fröba, Technical Managing Director, Heinz-Glas GmbH & Co. KGaA, Tettau "The decarbonisation of the glass industry".

The energy-intensive glass industry faces major challenges in decarbonisation in terms of technical implementation, the necessary investments for conversion and economic operation with regard to the high electricity costs in Germany. The Heinz Glas Group has had know-how in the field of electrofusion for over 50 years. The task now is to scale up this know-how and convert all plants in Germany to fossil-free.

Prof. Dr Dieter Brüggemann, Head of the Centre for Energy Technology, University of Bayreuth presents the "UBT Future Energy Lab in Wunsiedel" with Marco Krasser, Managing Director, Stadtwerke Wunsiedel GmbH, Wunsiedel.

The energy transition can only be successful if innovative ideas are tested in reality. The cooperation between the University of Bayreuth and the city of Wunsiedel in the new "Future Energy Lab" is a prime example of how to implement research and development in a real energy park for the benefit of municipalities and companies. An important goal of the Future Energy Lab is to support regional businesses with energy-intensive processes in converting from fossil to renewable energies. Research and development are accompanied by programmes for further education and by the promotion of innovation and business start-ups.

The President of the Hof University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jürgen Lehmann explains, "Only the intensive exchange between science and business, with the inclusion of social acceptance, creates climate-neutral products."

Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible, President of the University of Bayreuth, adds: "In view of the great challenges of our time, it is of immense importance that science and business know each other, network and work together on solutions. Therefore: Get out of the ivory tower, out of the factory, into the network. Our event makes this possible in the best possible way!

Patrick Püttner, Managing Director of the vbw Upper Franconia District Group emphasises: "In order to master the transformation, science and business go hand in hand - this applies to Bavaria and the region. With 'Wissen schafft Wirtschaft' we have created a forum in which we jointly develop solutions for current challenges."