📅 24.11.2026
📍Lyon & online
How can European SMEs anticipate change, respond to new challenges and build long-term resilience? This question will be at the heart of the IDEALIST Final Event on 24 November 2026 in Lyon and online.
After three years of European collaboration, the event will bring together SMEs, clusters, policymakers, innovation experts and other European stakeholders to discuss the economic, technological and geopolitical disruptions affecting European value chains and industrial ecosystems.
IDEALIST supports SMEs across three strategic industrial ecosystems: Energy-Intensive Industries, Aerospace & Defence, and Mobility, Transport & Automotive. The project helps companies strengthen their ability to anticipate disruptions, adapt to changing conditions and remain competitive in an increasingly uncertain environment.
The Final Event will bring together key project results, practical tools and experiences from companies across Europe. Participants can expect:
The event will also look beyond the end of the project and explore how the tools, approaches and networks developed through IDEALIST can continue to support European SMEs.
Save the date: 24 November 2026 | Lyon & online
The event is organised within the EU-funded IDEALIST project by the EDEN and CARA clusters. Chemie-Cluster Bayern is a project partner of IDEALIST.
Fotocredits: Tom Bauer
(Translated with MistralAI without further editing)
On July 8, 2026, Chemiepark GENDORF became the meeting point for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of the chemical industry. Under the motto “Chemistry in Transformation”, Pitch & Bond 2026 brought together start-ups, industrial companies, investors, and innovation stakeholders for an afternoon filled with inspiring insights, cutting-edge technologies, and valuable conversations.
Together with our co-host InfraServ Gendorf, we created a space where ideas can evolve into new partnerships—precisely where innovation later finds its way into industrial application.
The chemical industry is facing profound changes. Climate neutrality, circular economy, new bio-based processes, and resilient value chains present companies with major challenges—while simultaneously opening up enormous opportunities.
Start-ups play a decisive role in this transformation. They develop new technologies, drive innovation forward, and bring fresh perspectives to established industries. However, for these solutions to move from the lab to industrial scale, more than good ideas are needed: it requires exchange between founders, industry, research, and capital providers.
This is exactly where Pitch & Bond comes in. As an event format of the Chemie-Cluster Bayern, it provides a platform where innovations become visible, contacts are made, and collaborations begin.
For Pitch & Bond 2026, Chemiepark GENDORF provided the perfect setting. Even before the official start of the event, participants gained exclusive insights into one of Bavaria’s most important chemical sites during a guided bus tour.
The subsequent presentations took place in the Lehrtechnikum of the Bildungsakademie Inn-Salzach (BIT)—a state-of-the-art training and pilot plant hall that replicates a real production operation on a smaller scale. Across 2,000 square meters with laboratories, process plants, and its own control room, it became clear how innovative ideas can become industrial reality. The extraordinary location impressively underscored this year’s event motto: “Chemistry in Transformation.”
At the heart of the event were the 12 selected start-ups, which presented their technologies and business models in short pitch sessions. The companies covered three key future fields of the chemical industry:
Circular Chemistry | Green Energy & Process Innovation | Industrial Biotechnology
The participating start-ups included:
The pitches demonstrated impressively how innovative technologies can help use resources more efficiently, reduce emissions, and develop new sustainable production processes for the chemical industry.
A special highlight was the keynote by Dr. Robert Richard Richter, Managing Director of WERK1 Munich. Under the title “From Startup Center to DeepTech Home”, he outlined the key factors for building long-term successful innovation ecosystems. The focus was not on WERK1’s own story, but rather on the question of why some innovation hubs are particularly successful in permanently connecting talent, capital, companies, and ideas.
The program was complemented by an impulse speech from Christian Eichner (InfraServ Gendorf) on the topic “Home of Bavarian DeepTech”. He emphasized the framework conditions that DeepTech start-ups need to successfully transition from technology development to industrial scale—and the role chemical parks can play as innovation ecosystems.
Pitch & Bond is not just about the presentations on stage. The conversations in between are just as important. During the flying dinner, networking sessions, and personal exchanges between start-ups, industrial companies, investors, and research institutions, numerous new contacts were made and initial ideas for future collaborations emerged.
It is precisely these encounters that make Pitch & Bond more than just a classic pitch event: they build trust, promote knowledge transfer, and lay the foundation for innovations that can have a long-term impact.
Special thanks go to our CCB organization team — Anja Strunz, Matthias Klein, Dr. Kerstin Schindler, Dr. Tobias Schwarzmüller, Friederike Metze, and Charlène Kerner — who prepared and implemented Pitch & Bond 2026 with great commitment.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our co-host InfraServ Gendorf for the excellent collaboration and for allowing us to host Pitch & Bond at Chemiepark GENDORF. Our special gratitude goes to Renate Fleissner, Christian Eichner, Tilo Rosenberger-Süß, Martina Kress, and Christoph von Reden, who supported and enabled the event with great dedication.
A big thank you also goes to Dr. Robert Richard Richter for his inspiring keynote, as well as to all the start-ups, speakers, partners, and guests who made Pitch & Bond 2026 a special experience.
The challenges of transformation can only be mastered together. Events like Pitch & Bond demonstrate how important strong networks between start-ups, industry, science, and investors are to accelerate the industrial application of innovative technologies.
In the future, we will continue to use Pitch & Bond to promote this exchange and create a platform where ideas turn into collaborations and innovations into market-ready solutions.
We thank all participants for an inspiring day full of new impulses and are already looking forward to the next edition of Pitch & Bond.
Let’s keep bonding.
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In the interview, Michel Konder, Co-Founder of autarkize, explains why the production and use of biochar are meaningful and what makes the company’s pyrolysis processes exceptional.
autarkize GmbH uses pyrolysis to convert biomass such as digestate or waste wood into climate-positive gas and biochar. Could you briefly explain how your process works and why it is more economically and ecologically viable than conventional biomass utilization methods?
Our pyrolysis technology is a technical and economic revolution. We can produce high-quality synthesis gas and biochar from a wide range of biomass and biogenic waste materials. We’ve optimized our synthesis gas to have a heating value and combustion properties similar to biogas. At the same time, our systems are high-performance yet extremely compact and flexible due to their container-based design. We are compatible with many established boiler, CHP, turbine, and furnace systems. Energy-intensive industrial companies, municipalities, or recycling businesses can integrate our technology into their existing gas, steam, heat, or power infrastructure with minimal effort, often even using their own waste materials for energy generation.
In parallel, our process produces biochar—a highly pure, structurally rich carbon material. Depending on the feedstock and process parameters, biochar has a wide range of applications: as a soil improver or feed additive in agriculture, as a structural and thermal conductivity material in construction, or as an organic activated carbon filter. The key advantage: Biochar is not only a valuable product but also a genuine CO₂ sink. During the process, the carbon bound in the biomass is stabilized so that it no longer oxidizes into CO₂ through decomposition, for example. This is scientifically proven and recognized in CO₂ markets as a true negative emission.
In summary, it pays off: We take carbon-rich waste materials and convert them into gas and biochar. We turn a problem into energy and a product while becoming climate-positive as an added benefit. Since we integrate into existing energy systems, the capital expenditure remains manageable, and the return on investment is high. By the end of 2026, another 10 plants with a combined capacity of almost 6 MW will go into operation.
Your systems can help achieve important climate goals. How do you scale this technology specifically to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, and what role do CO₂ certificates play in its economic viability?
For us, scaling does not mean building ever-larger plants but deploying many identical systems in many locations. We are a decentralized solution. Our plants are modular and container-based, making them usable anywhere there is sufficient biogenic waste and energy demand: in the food industry, agriculture, forestry, chemical and metallurgical process industries, as well as in decentralized district and remote heating. Our systems are technically identical in design—the difference lies in the sophisticated process engineering, data, and algorithms. Crucially, software plays a key role: With the same hardware, we can adapt to different feedstocks during operation while still delivering gas and biochar of the highest quality. As an operator of an autarkize plant, I am highly flexible but always produce high-quality products like biochar. And since CO₂ certificates are linked to the quality of the biochar, I not only remove several thousand tons of CO₂ and produce cost-effective gas but also generate a steady income through certificate trading.
Biochar can be used in soils, construction, or as a CO₂ storage solution. Which specific applications (e.g., in agriculture or industry) do you see as the most promising? How do you convince skeptics that biochar actually binds CO₂ long-term and is not just a form of “greenwashing”?
Agriculture is the most advanced application. There, biochar acts as a soil improver: it retains water and nutrients, makes soils more resilient to drought, and reduces the need for fertilizers. The construction sector is also promising. When incorporated into concrete or asphalt, biochar permanently binds carbon and, as a side benefit, helps keep cities cooler in the summer. We are also working with partners on applications such as panels for natural climate regulation in buildings.
We take the greenwashing accusation seriously because it is justified as long as no one can prove what is actually happening. That’s why we measure and certify. Our biochar is certified according to the European Biochar Certificate and the Global Biochar C-Sink standards. Through digital tracking systems, we monitor the journey of the biochar from production to application. A skeptic doesn’t have to believe us—they can verify it for themselves. The decisive point: Unlike many technical CO₂ removal methods, carbon storage in biochar is not measured in years but in centuries. The carbon is chemically stable and does not quickly return to the atmosphere.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Pyrolysis has long had a bad reputation because it rarely worked economically. We deliberately chose this technology because, when it works, it solves multiple problems at once: waste materials, energy, and CO₂. Anyone with waste materials and energy needs should talk to us before investing in the next conventional solution. Many industrial companies are sitting on exactly these material streams without utilizing them today.
About Michel Konder
Michel Konder is CEO & Co-Founder of autarkize. He brings over 20 years of experience from the energy and digital sectors, including the launch of the European gas platform Prisma and as Vice President for Digital Business and Global Scaling at battery storage pioneer sonnen. At autarkize GmbH, he is responsible for technology, innovation, and strategy. He develops long-term visions while, together with his teams, consistently finding the most efficient solutions, no matter how complex the challenge.
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The focus of TT49 is on science-based deep-tech startups emerging from German research. How do you currently assess the potential of chemistry startups originating from universities or Fraunhofer Institutes, and which specific technologies do you see as particularly promising?
We currently see enormous potential in science-based chemistry and materials startups. Germany, in particular, has an internationally strong research landscape with excellent basic research and high industrial relevance. We find technologies in sustainable materials, battery materials, circular economy, CO₂ utilization, green chemistry, and AI-driven process optimization especially exciting. Many of these technologies simultaneously address challenges related to decarbonization and European industrial sovereignty.
Many (chemistry) startups fail in the “Valley of Death” between research and market readiness. How does TT49 specifically support startups in the pre-seed phase?
TT49 positions itself precisely in this early phase. We typically invest immediately after a startup is spun out of research. Our focus is on providing capital as well as addressing framework conditions and questions related to IP structures, market validation, team composition, industry access, and preparation for further funding rounds. Public funding programs play a central role, especially for capital-intensive technologies. Our goal is to translate scientific excellence into entrepreneurial success at an early stage.
The chemical industry faces enormous challenges due to new and existing EU regulations. How do you help startups overcome these regulatory hurdles?
Regulatory requirements are an integral part of business strategy in deep tech and chemistry from the very beginning. Accordingly, regulatory expertise and early engagement with industry partners, authorities, and specialized consultants gain importance. Sustainability is generally seen more as a driver than a risk. Many startups emerge because existing industrial processes are increasingly reaching their limits, whether in terms of energy efficiency, CO₂ reduction, or circular economy.
How do you leverage your own network to support startups not only financially but also by providing access to pilot customers, industry partners, or infrastructure?
Our network is one of the most important value-adds of TT49. Through our proximity to research institutions, industrial companies, family offices, and other VC investors, we can connect young companies with relevant partners at a very early stage. In the chemistry and deep-tech sectors, pilot projects, access to lab and production infrastructure, and industrial validation are critical for success. Here, we actively work to open doors and enable long-term strategic partnerships.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Germany has an exceptionally strong research landscape. The key now is to translate more scientific excellence into market-ready companies more quickly. This requires entrepreneurial courage, long-term capital, and close collaboration between science, industry, and investors.
About Johann C. Siemes
Johann C. Siemes is Managing Partner at TT49 Management GmbH, the successor fund to the Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fund (FTTF). He supports science-based deep-tech startups from German research institutions and universities in early financing phases, helping teams build scalable business models, strategic partnerships, and secure follow-on funding. TT49 particularly focuses on technology-driven spin-offs with high industrial impact.
Dear Friederike, welcome to the Chemie-Cluster Bayern team! Could you tell us a bit about your background – and what particularly excites you about working at the interface of chemistry, bioeconomy and innovation?
I am a chemist with a broad background in polymer chemistry as well as organic surface modification and coatings. During my postdoc, I worked in industrial collaboration with BASF on bio-based and biodegradable polymers. Most recently, I spent two years at a nanobiotechnology start-up, where I worked in the field of surface research.
What I find particularly exciting about cluster work is that it brings together a wide range of stakeholders – from start-ups and industry to research institutions. It is exactly at these intersections that the most interesting ideas, collaborations and innovations often emerge.
You bring experience from research, industrial collaboration and the start-up environment. What are you currently working on at Chemie-Cluster Bayern, and which topics and projects are you involved in?
I am involved in various activities and projects at Chemie-Cluster Bayern. These include, among others, the CREATE project, participation in the CCU/CCS expert group, and supporting start-ups as well as member companies.
A current focus of your work is also the organization of Pitch & Bond – Chemistry in Transformation. What is the event about, and why is this format particularly exciting for start-ups, industry and investors?
Pitch & Bond brings together start-ups, industrial companies, investors and other innovation stakeholders from the chemistry and DeepTech ecosystem.
The focus is on solutions that contribute to the transformation of the chemical and process industries – for example in areas such as circular economy, sustainable chemistry and bioeconomy.
What I find especially exciting is that the event is not just about pitching. It creates space for real conversations, new connections and potential collaborations. For start-ups, it is a great opportunity to gain visibility and engage directly with industry and investors. At the same time, companies gain early insights into new technologies and innovative solution approaches.
And finally, a more personal question: What would you describe as your personal “superpower”?
My superpower is turning “this is a problem” into “this is something we could try.” From my research background, I learned how to systematically analyze challenges while also developing creative solution approaches. Especially at the intersection of chemistry, bioeconomy and innovation, this solution-oriented mindset helps me every single day.
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With highly active enzymes, the startup Ester Biotech transforms hard-to-recycle polyester waste into high-quality recyclates, creating a closed loop for PET and other polymers. In this Hotseat Interview, co-founder Martin Hirschfeld explains how this works and why the approach is more cost-effective and sustainable than conventional methods.
Hello Martin, you officially founded Ester Biotech last year. Can you describe your idea and where you currently stand?
Our goal is to use enzymes to make a decisive contribution to solving the global plastic crisis. To this end, we are developing biocatalytic processes that can convert previously hard-to-recycle polyester waste into high-quality recyclates.
Our enzymes specifically cleave the ester bonds in polyesters like PET, allowing the original monomers to be recovered, purified, and reused for the synthesis of new polymers. This produces recyclate that is also suitable for applications with particularly high quality requirements, such as food packaging, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, or technical applications.
Scaling is taking place for both the recycling process and enzyme production, each with strong strategic partners, so that both paths can be built efficiently. The recycling process currently operates on a 100-liter scale, and in parallel, we are validating the material quality together with a global PET manufacturer. Our goal is to reach TRL 6 in the coming months, a decisive step toward industrial implementation.
What actually distinguishes your enzymes and your process from the process developed by the French company Carbios for enzymatic PET recycling?
Our enzymes are characterized by exceptional activity and stability in polyester degradation, forming the key to a cost-effective process with the highest recyclate quality. Compared to competitors like Carbios, we achieve a reduction in process costs through better enzyme performance.
The foundation for this is our proprietary enzyme development framework: Our patented screening system works with real plastic films, allowing us to test and optimize enzymes directly on actual plastic surfaces. Plastic degradation is tracked in high throughput, almost in real time. We use this data for machine learning, which accelerates and targets development more effectively.
Building on this, our further focus is on a lean and circular process design. For example, we can use PET thermoform flakes directly from the shredder without energy-intensive extrusion pretreatment. At the same time, we have evolved our processes from classic batch reactions toward fed-batch and, in the future, continuous operation modes, significantly optimizing feedstock costs, energy efficiency, and throughput.
Looking ahead, we are consciously thinking beyond PET. Bio-based plastics contain valuable chemical building blocks that are too precious to simply compost or incinerate. Our goal is to develop enzymatic recycling solutions for these materials as well, keeping their building blocks consistently in the loop.
For plastic recycling, there are already well-established mechanical processes and other raw material recycling approaches, such as pyrolysis. Where do you see the advantages of enzymatic processes like yours?
Mechanical recycling remains a very important pillar. Our enzymatic approach is therefore not intended as a replacement but as a targeted complement for plastic streams that can no longer be meaningfully recycled mechanically. Chain breaks, accumulation of additives, and foreign substances—mechanical recycling has its limits, and thermal recovery usually follows. This is where we come in: With our ESTER Upcycle process, we break down such materials back into their chemical building blocks, enabling the production of new, high-quality plastic. This way, the carbon contained can be kept in the loop for longer.
Compared to other raw material recycling processes, I see several specific advantages in the enzymatic approach.
First, the high selectivity and robustness of the enzymes enable reliable depolymerization even of heavily contaminated waste without producing unwanted byproducts. This ensures stable yields and simplifies downstream processing.
Second, depolymerization occurs under mild conditions at around 65°C without pressurization. This allows the process to be operated with high energy flexibility, for example by using waste heat or integrating renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency and optimizing the CO₂ footprint.
Third, recycling at the monomer level offers both technical and regulatory advantages. The closed loop can be achieved with relatively few process steps, reducing costs and CO₂ emissions. At the same time, current EU drafts on mass balance for recyclate quotas provide for the so-called “fuel-use-excluded” approach. Our process benefits from this, as the output is fully credited toward the recyclate quota, whereas some other processes may not be able to do this in the future.
Based on these factors, I see great potential for our enzymatic approach to help the industry meet increasing recycling and recyclate quotas—especially for applications with high quality requirements. Compared to other raw material recycling processes, we expect our process to be competitive in terms of both cost and CO₂ emissions. At the same time, it opens up better opportunities for decentralized plant concepts and generally enjoys high societal acceptance. Our preliminary techno-economic analysis and a life cycle assessment for an industrial-scale plant with a capacity of 45 kt of plastic waste per year confirm this assessment and encourage us and our partners to consistently scale the process further.
In addition to recycling packaging, there are other applications where polyesters are used. Where do you see interesting opportunities for ESTER Biotech? Are you looking for cooperation partners for joint development projects?
We want to support the bio-based plastics industry in developing new types of polymers that are designed according to the circular-by-design principle from the outset. Building on this, we can implement cost-effective, circular recycling solutions based on our experience with PET recycling.
The excellent properties of our enzymes in polyester degradation and modification, combined with the development framework to adapt them specifically for particular applications, open up numerous other potential fields of application. We are currently evaluating these intensively with various industrial partners and conducting feasibility studies.
Since we assume that not all potential has yet been identified, we welcome exchanges with interested industry and research partners. Whenever it comes to specifically breaking down, separating, or modifying the surface of polyesters (such as increasing hydrophilization, improving homogeneity, or roughening), we are happy to act as a competent and cooperative partner.
You recently joined the Chemie-Cluster Bayern. What makes our network so valuable to you?
Joining the Chemie-Cluster Bayern gives us access to a strong network of industry, research, and technology partners, creating the foundation for targeted knowledge exchange and new strategic collaborations.
The first meeting at a trade fair and the subsequent online meeting with an extended group showed that there is an excellent fit both personally and professionally. At that time, we began to focus more intensively on additional applications for our enzymes. We were looking for a broad industrial network that is also firmly rooted in biotechnology and chemistry—and we found it in the Chemie-Cluster Bayern.
The network enables us to contribute our expertise, learn from the experiences of others, and jointly develop innovative solutions for the challenges in the plastic circular economy.
About Martin Hirschfeld
As Co-CEO and co-founder, I am primarily active in the areas of finance, corporate and business development, sales, and project management. I studied industrial engineering and management and am passionate about working interdisciplinarily. What particularly motivates me is the ability to quickly and intensively familiarize myself with new fields.
Before joining ESTER Biotech, I worked for nearly ten years as a quality manager across various industries and company sizes—from startups to mid-sized companies and large corporations.
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In this double interview, we speak with Knut Ofterdinger (Weimako) and Steffen Grämer (VUCASUPPORT) about innovative solutions for the challenges of tomorrow. The focus is on two perspectives: sustainable material innovations and digital transformation for SMEs.
Mr. Ofterdinger, with your company Weimako, you are successfully active in the field of bio-based materials for packaging. What does Weimako offer, and what makes it special?
Andreas Mayrginther and I both come from the cosmetics industry as technicians. We found a unique selling point with the idea of bio-based, sharpenable plastic sleeves that no other company in this niche offers. In cooperation with compound manufacturers, we process wood-based fiber materials from sawmill and carpentry waste into a new plastic. This avoids the “food vs. fuel” debate, as we do not use food-based raw materials. The CO2 bound in the wood chips remains bound, and we give this “waste” a new product life cycle. Our idea and products are therefore very sustainable. In principle, we can transfer mineral oil-based packaging to bio-based packaging for all industries using our bio-based raw materials. In addition to cosmetics, we already have our first customers in the NEM and pharmaceutical sectors. All our packaging solutions are Food, REACH, and FDA compliant.
Mr. Grämer, you are the founder and managing director of VUCASUPPORT. What is your idea, and in what form do you support SMEs?
The idea behind VUCASUPPORT actually came from a very simple observation: Most companies do not have a problem with knowledge—they have a problem with implementation. They know they need to adapt faster and faster, often driven by external factors such as regulation, competitive pressure, or technological developments. Topics like digitalization, new business models, skilled labor shortages, or sustainability are omnipresent. But in practice, what is often missing is the crucial element: clarity about where they really stand, a focus on the right issues, and a structured implementation.
And that is exactly our starting point. Our core idea is to make transformation measurable, comparable, and manageable. We help companies move away from gut feelings and individual opinions and create an objective decision-making basis. At its core, it is about making complexity tangible and translating it into clarity.
The entry point is our VUCASUPPORT 360° Self-Assessment. This gives companies a structured view of their maturity level in key future fields. For many, this is the first moment when it truly becomes visible where they stand and where there is a concrete need for action.
And that is where the real work begins. After the assessment, we set priorities together and deliberately avoid trying to tackle everything at once. Instead, we identify the few topics that really make a difference. Based on this, the next steps are clearly structured—with concrete measures, realistic timelines, clear responsibilities, and measurable goals. This does not create a theoretical concept but an actionable roadmap that guides companies step by step through the transformation.
Mr. Grämer, which areas are most frequently identified as “critical” or “in need of improvement” in the Self-Assessment? What is the approach after identifying these elements, and how long does it usually take for a company to see results?
When we look at the results from the VUCASUPPORT Self-Assessment, it often becomes clear: SMEs rarely have a single problem; they usually struggle with a lack of strategic clarity. Many are already active, have launched projects, or introduced tools, but without a clear target vision. This often leads to actionism rather than real impact. At the same time, processes are being digitalized without further developing the business model, and existing data is hardly used for management. Often, implementation fails because structures and responsibilities are not clearly defined.
This is exactly where we come in. We consciously focus on the few topics that make the biggest difference and translate them directly into concrete, actionable measures. Companies receive a clear status assessment just a few days after the assessment and know where to start. Initial improvements are usually visible within eight to twelve weeks, while larger changes, such as in the business model, take more time.
The assessment itself is simple to carry out but very well-founded in content. We work with clear topic clusters based on scientific studies and Eurostat data—precisely the areas that are truly relevant for the future of SMEs.
In each of these areas, companies answer 25 specific questions. These are rated on a scale of one to five, so it quickly becomes clear where they really stand.
The evaluation is not based solely on their own assessment. AI supports the process by recognizing patterns, classifying evaluations, and creating an objective overall picture. In the end, the company can clearly see where the biggest levers are—and, above all, where they should start. The biggest advantage is clarity. Instead of getting scattered, companies can focus their energy on the few topics that really make a difference.
What it requires is, above all, honesty and a willingness to accept the results. This is where the real added value comes from: better decisions and a stronger understanding across departmental boundaries.
Mr. Ofterdinger, Weimako focuses on material innovations and the green transformation. With the VUCASUPPORT Self-Assessment, you use digital tools to identify improvement potential for your own company. What convinced you, and what benefits have you derived from it?
The idea of taking the manageable time to answer the VUCASUPPORT questionnaire has already paid off for Weimako. The practice-oriented questions and the derived answers are a great help for self-help. We did not need to hire expensive management consultants. The Self-Assessment questionnaire can be adapted to customer requests. The answers are well-structured into short-, medium-, and long-term solution proposals. This allowed us to start working on short-term solutions immediately.
Mr. Grämer, how does the Self-Assessment work in concrete terms? What advantages can a company derive from it, and what does it need to contribute itself?
The Self-Assessment is deliberately kept simple but is very well-founded in content. We work with clear topic clusters based on scientific studies and Eurostat data—precisely the areas that are truly relevant for the future of SMEs.
In each of these areas, companies answer 25 specific questions. These are rated on a scale of one to five, so it quickly becomes clear where they really stand.
The evaluation is not based solely on their own assessment. AI supports the process by recognizing patterns, classifying evaluations, and creating an objective overall picture. In the end, the company can clearly see where the biggest levers are—and, above all, where they should start. The biggest advantage is clarity. Instead of getting scattered, companies can focus their energy on the few topics that really make a difference.
What it requires is, above all, honesty and a willingness to accept the results. This is where the real added value comes from: better decisions and a stronger understanding across departmental boundaries.
What is your joint conclusion?
With the help of the already available AI offering, the “Vucca Method” can generate an AI-based solution for SMEs at reasonable costs. Through the questionnaire, every entrepreneur reflects on their current status themselves and receives a benchmark of where their company stands compared to other companies in the industry. All of this without having to spend hours being interviewed by consultants. Try it for yourself.
About Knut Ofterdinger and Weimako
Mr. Ofterdinger (58) is a co-founder and current managing director of Weimako GmbH in Peißenberg. He brings extensive professional experience from his previous fields of work in pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics.
Weimako GmbH is 11 years old and specializes in the development, production, and marketing of sustainable packaging solutions for the cosmetics, stationery, and nutritional supplement (NEM) industries. The company uses bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable materials as well as recycling solutions (recyclates) for both bio-based and mineral oil-based materials. Their product portfolio includes, among other things, pen casings, lipsticks, dosing dispensers, and screw-top cans.
About Steffen Grämer
Steffen Grämer (49) is the founder and managing director of VUCASUPPORT, a consulting firm focused on transformation and future viability for companies. Over many years in international leadership positions, he has gained extensive global experience in transformation and crisis management, particularly in complex supply chains.
Today, he primarily supports small and medium-sized enterprises in implementing changes in a structured way and remaining capable of action even in uncertain times. His focus is on creating clarity, setting priorities, and consistently translating transformation into action.
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In modern industrial research and development (R&D), success is increasingly determined by the intelligent integration of data, processes, and AI. How LabV addresses this as an integrative solution—bringing together fragmented data sources, creating structured knowledge, and optimizing R&D processes—is explained by Mr. Jouanique in this interview.
Dear Mr. Jouanique!
LabV is a platform for R&D. What specific functions does the platform offer, and how does it differ from other solutions on the market?
Our focus is on consolidating all relevant data from the R&D process into a single system: from material data and formulations to process parameters and measurement and test results. This is complemented by features for structured documentation of experiments and projects, as well as an integrated AI assistant.
The key point is that we do not see AI in isolation, but always in connection with a clean data foundation. Many companies work with fragmented data, such as Excel files or PDFs. As a result, a lot of time is lost in day-to-day work because information, while available, cannot be used efficiently. Our approach is therefore to first bring data, knowledge, and processes into a meaningful context. Intelligent functions can then be built on this foundation.
These include, for example:
We differentiate ourselves from other platforms in three main ways:
First, we consistently combine the data platform with AI. We do not believe in AI based on Excel spreadsheets, but in Material Intelligence built on structured data.
Second, our approach is practical and industry-oriented. We come from an industrial laboratory environment ourselves and develop the solution in close collaboration with our customers.
Third, data sovereignty, the protection of intellectual property, and a trustworthy infrastructure are central principles for us. That is why we place great emphasis on ensuring that our customers’ data is processed in accordance with European data protection standards and stored in an infrastructure that meets these requirements.
Many industrial companies work with established IT and data structures. How does LabV succeed in integrating into existing systems? And what experiences have you had so far in implementing the platform in companies?
Integration is a key success factor for us. Companies do not start from scratch; they already have existing testing equipment, data sources, ERP structures, specialized software, or historically grown data repositories. Our goal is not to ignore this reality, but to integrate existing systems and data in a way that makes them usable together.
Technically, we work with an open, universal interface logic. This means we connect data from different sources—such as laboratory equipment, existing databases, ERP systems, or document-based repositories. The aim is to turn distributed information into a usable, structured knowledge base.
It is also important how we approach the implementation of the platform: We do not introduce LabV as a “pure IT project,” but in cooperation with the R&D department. This means we understand the actual workflows and design the implementation so that it works in everyday laboratory and development environments.
Implementation is particularly successful where companies achieve practical benefits early on: for example, through significantly better accessibility of historical data, fewer duplicate tests, or more efficient project work. From many conversations with customers, we know that the greatest added value initially lies not in futuristic AI scenarios, but in making existing knowledge usable across projects.
The use of AI raises questions about trust, transparency, and data security. How do you address these concerns?
We take these concerns very seriously. In the industrial environment, the use of artificial intelligence should be critically examined. After all, it involves sensitive data, intellectual property, product quality, and, in many cases, safety-critical decisions. We therefore do not believe in AI as an end in itself, but as a tool for better decision-making.
For us, AI is an assistance system: it supports experts but does not replace them. We see AI as a kind of co-engineer or co-chemist. The system makes information more accessible, helps identify patterns, and prepares decisions. However, the responsibility remains with the developer.
What role do strategic partnerships play in the further development of LabV, and what opportunities do you see for collaborations with industry, research, or investors?
We are open to partnerships if they make a clear contribution to advancing Material Intelligence in industrial R&D. Partnerships can arise for us at different levels. On the technological side, for example, in infrastructure, data integration, or individual AI components. Industrial collaborations are also interesting, where new applications for our software platform are developed together. Another area is research projects with universities, for example in Explainable AI.
How do you see the role of data and AI in industrial research and development changing in the coming years, and what should companies pay particular attention to today?
From our perspective, the discussion will shift in the coming years. Away from the question of whether AI is relevant in industrial R&D, toward how it can be used meaningfully, safely, and economically.
50% of AI pilot projects fail. That is why the first and most important step is often less spectacular than many expect: Companies must first organize their knowledge—their data and processes—into a structured form that enables meaningful use of AI in the first place. Without this foundation, AI remains piecemeal. If these prerequisites are met, however, AI can be a very effective tool for increasing efficiency and securing long-term competitiveness.
We are working to further develop AI functions, such as our AI assistant, from pure assistance to optimization. New technologies enable companies of all sizes to benefit from AI-supported predictions. This new way of working in R&D is already a reality and is currently spreading across all industrial sectors in Germany.
About Charles Jouanique
Charles Jouanique has over 15 years of experience in the industrial sector. In addition to developing new digital business models, he is also an entrepreneur and a multiple-time business angel for startups. He is a co-founder of LabV, a software company within the NETZSCH Group, where he heads the Sales & Marketing division.
More About LabV
At LabV, the team is currently working on several projects, including the implementation of a multi-agent architecture for their platform. The goal is to provide even stronger support for developers in research and development by enhancing data analysis and experiment planning, ultimately shortening development cycles. A core principle guides their approach: Decisions always remain with the human expert, while AI serves solely as a supportive tool in the development process.
Additionally, LabV regularly hosts webinars where they discuss current challenges in industrial R&D and present potential solutions. They also offer live demos, giving interested parties insights into how the platform works and showcasing the latest developments.
(Translated with MistralAI without further editing)
Innovation, sustainability, and the power of natural resources: Since our last conversation over five years ago, Lignopure has not only achieved significant milestones but also demonstrated how lignin, as a key raw material, can revolutionize the bioeconomy. In this interview, Wienke Reynolds shares fascinating insights into the company’s development, the potential of lignin, and the vision for a more sustainable chemical and materials industry.
Dear Wienke, it’s wonderful to have you back in the hot seat after more than five years—we’re thrilled to welcome you again! So much must have happened since our last conversation. Could you briefly share where Lignopure stands today and what milestones you’ve achieved in recent years?
Dear Anja, thank you so much for the invitation to this interview again—so much has happened in the past five years, and it’s still incredibly exciting! Back then, we were in the intense phase of process and product optimization for our first product line, LignoBase, for the cosmetics sector. At Lignopure, we specialize in refining lignin into multifunctional natural ingredients.
We spun off from research at the Technical University of Hamburg and, with our seed funding, built our first products and processes. In 2023, we launched LignoBase nearly globally, established a distribution network, and provided samples to our first customers. In 2025, the first end products hit the market—our biggest milestone so far!
We also successfully closed another funding round. Currently, we’re working hard on launching a new product line for the paints and coatings sector, which we plan to introduce at the end of April.
Lignin is often discussed as a key raw material in the bioeconomy. What functional properties make lignin particularly interesting in your view—and what potential is still being underestimated?
Lignin is a key raw material for two reasons: First, it’s the second most abundant biopolymer in the world after cellulose—a massive byproduct of the pulp and biorefinery industries, yet by far the least utilized! This needs to change.
Second, lignin has very interesting protective functions in the cell walls of woody plants. These are functions for which few, if any, bio-based ingredients have been used in products so far. In addition to mechanical reinforcement, these include UV protection and antioxidant or free radical scavenging properties. Isolated lignins also exhibit oil-absorbing and sometimes film-forming properties. Depending on the raw material and extraction process, lignin has a specific brown hue, making it perfect for use as a bio-based pigment.
By transferring these natural protective functions from plants into products using our technology, we can improve the performance of new materials while reducing the use of environmentally and health-hazardous ingredients. These include UV filters, petroleum-based stabilizers, film formers, and boosters.
Lignopure is working to bring lignin into high-value applications. In which areas do you currently see the greatest potential—and what examples already show what is possible with lignin today?
If you look at current research projects on lignin, you’ll find almost everything imaginable: from bitumen and rubber to thermoplastics, duromers, paints and coatings, battery technology, carbon capture, food, animal feed, pharmaceutical applications—and, of course, cosmetics!
Focus is key. At Lignopure, we see our strength primarily in our pioneering work in the life sciences and high-value material applications, where performance is just as important as naturalness. The cosmetics market was the perfect starting point for us in many ways. With its natural functions, lignin can be used very effectively in natural sunscreen and skincare, as well as decorative products.
At the same time, the regulatory effort is lower than in other life science sectors, initial order quantities are moderate, and the market adopts innovations relatively quickly. Europe could learn a thing or two from other countries: The first product containing LignoBase was launched in South Korea, one of the leaders in high-quality, innovative product concepts. But products will soon follow in Europe as well!
You also contributed your lignin expertise to the BAMBI project—Market Potential of Wood-Based Bioeconomy. What exactly was your contribution? And how do you assess the market potential of lignin?
Yes, it was a truly valuable and productive day! I had the opportunity to bring Lignopure’s perspective and expertise to two focus groups and engage in intensive discussions with other experts and stakeholders. We all agreed that there needs to be more targeted funding for the development and CAPEX-intensive but absolutely essential scaling of lignin technologies. We also agreed that only strict regulations and quotas for sustainable raw materials will truly drive the industry to adopt bio-based ingredients on a large scale.
Looking ahead: What role do you think lignin can play in a more sustainable chemical and materials industry in the future—and what is Lignopure currently focusing on?
In my opinion, lignin must and will become one of the major pillars of our future bioeconomy. Worldwide, there is intensive work on adding value to biogenic byproducts and developing new biorefinery concepts. High-quality lignin is becoming increasingly available and must be utilized.
Additionally, regulatory limits and requirements for many persistent, bioaccumulative, or toxic substances are rising significantly, and genuine alternatives are still scarce. These include PFAS, microplastics, and UV filters, among others.
We are intensively working on opening up further markets that are strongly affected by these issues and where lignin’s functionalities offer particularly high potential. The next logical step for us is therefore to establish lignin—with its color, UV protection, and antioxidant activity—as a functional pigment in the paints, coatings, and varnishes sector.
Samples and further information about our new product line, Arbex, for the paints and coatings sector will be officially available at the end of April—this will be an exciting new market for us! Various lignins for further technical applications, such as in the polymer sector, can also be easily sourced through us.
About Wienke Reynolds
Wienke Reynolds is a co-founder and CTO of LignoPure GmbH. She studied bioprocess engineering at the Technical University of Hamburg and earned her PhD at the Institute of Thermal Process Engineering, specializing in biorefinery process development.
IDEALIST Project Showcases Innovation and Collaboration at JEC World 2026 in Paris
Paris, March 2026 – The European project IDEALIST successfully participated to JEC World 2026, the leading international event dedicated to composite materials, from March 10 to 12 in Paris Nord Villepinte. The event provided a key platform to enhance the project’s visibility and strengthen strategic connections with European and international stakeholders.
JEC WORLD in a nutshell
JEC WORLD is the world’s leading trade show dedicated to composite materials and their applications. Held in Paris, JEC World is the industry’s leading trade show, welcoming key market players who come together to develop their business and network, as well as share their innovations. JEC World is the place to be for composite materials, with hundreds of product launches, innovation awards, a startup competition, conferences and machine demonstrations.
Leveraging the strong presence of three key strategic partners — POLYMERIS, GIE ALBATROS and APPAU — together with their respective delegation – IDEALIST actively engaged in a series of networking and matchmaking initiatives, contributing to the promotion of innovation and collaboration within the advanced materials sector. Among the key highlights:
Networking Cocktail at POLYMERIS pavilion
On March the 10TH IDEALIST partners took part in a networking session organized by POLYMERIS and its members, engaging with several European projects including BIOntier, ZEvRA, THERMOFIRE, BIO-UPTAKE, EoLO-HUBS and MAT4EU. The exchange sparked valuable discussions on EU funding opportunities and collaboration pathways – especially for SMEs – while reinforcing cross-sector synergies within Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Matchmaking Session at GIE ALBATROS pavilion
IDEALIST partner GIE ALBATROS organised and hosted interesting matchmaking session involving POLYMERS companies and innovative actors such as NAWAH, AcXys Technologies, Plasmalex and SPECIFIC POLYMERS. The session provided participants with the opportunity to present their activities, expand their professional networks and initiate potential technological collaborations.
Meetings with the APPAU Delegation (Ukraine)
A delegation from the Association of Industrial Automation of Ukraine (APPAU), led by partner Alexandre Yurchak, took part in a dedicated visit to the exhibition, engaging with companies from the ALBATROS GIE and POLYMERIS networks. This high-value interaction fostered direct dialogue and in-depth knowledge exchange, creating a fertile ground for building new industrial partnerships. It also opened concrete opportunities for collaboration between European and
Ukrainian stakeholders across the composite materials value chain—an area of growing strategic importance for innovation, resilience and industrial competitiveness.
Participation in JEC World 2026 confirms IDEALIST’s role as a key platform for fostering innovation in composite materials and strengthening European value chains.
A special thank you goes to the POLYMERIS and ALBATROS GIE teams for their excellent organization and hospitality, as well as to our APPAU involved for their active contribution to the success of the initiative.
IDEALIST will continue to promote collaboration between industry, research and innovation,
supporting the development of advanced and sustainable solutions for the future of European
manufacturing.
For Further Information
For more details about the IDEALIST project, its objectives, and how to get involved, please visit
https://www.idealist-project.eu/ or contact info@idealist-project.eu.
Local contact
Chemie-Cluster Bayern GmbH
Dr. Emilija Kohls, Leitung Digitale Transformation & Innovation
kohls@chemiecluster-bayern.de
