Despite all the crises, the industry is (still) optimistic about the future. In the fully occupied 18 halls of the plastics trade fair K 2022 in Düsseldorf, more than 3,000 exhibitors from 60 nations offer a complete overview of an industry that is unjustly castigated as an environmental offender. The plastics industry is energy-intensive, like many other impact sectors, however. At K 2022, it can be seen that companies are increasingly working on solutions for avoiding waste, sustainability and conserving resources, for example.
But where would we be without plastic? Most of us use plastic products without thinking about it. It starts as soon as we get up in the morning. The (plastic) windows are opened. In the bathroom we need toothbrushes, cream jars, clothing, for breakfast products from packaging - most of it made of plastic. And let's think about our little ones, what parent doesn't buy them, the colorful toys or figures?
The Brain of Materials AG team is well connected in the plastics industry. Dr. Hans Peter Schlegelmilch - CEO of Brain of Materials - is enthusiastic about the excellent range of products at the trade fair, but also about the inventiveness and innovative spirit of the companies.
He and his team are developing a material data information and management system. The cloud-based platform helps raw material and semi-finished product manufacturers and converters with material expertise and digital intelligence to organize their product catalogs with much less effort than is required in the traditional way. Material expertise among material manufacturers' customers has been declining steadily for years, so Brain of Materials is closing this growing know-how gap and thus helping to ensure sales success. Brain of Materials also develops solutions for supply chain transparency and circular material management.
So what could be more natural than to strengthen associations that work for the good of the entire industry in "Germany's No. 1 plastics region" (according to kunststoffland NRW e.V.)?
Now Brain of Materials became a member of "kunststoffland NRW e.V." at the plastics trade fair. Dr. Schlegelmilch explains his decision as follows: "Our federal state is a plastics region with many small and medium-sized companies, but also international corporations." A good decision, because according to kunststoffland NRW, the industry in our federal state employs 134,000 people who generate annual sales of around €34 billion.