Successful Specialist Conference Polyurethane in cooperation with VW
From left to right: Dr. Wilhelm A. Strietholt (Speaker for the Specialist Group Polyurethane in the FSK, Dow Deutschland Anlagengesellschaft mbH), Dr. Hans-W. Schloz (Managing Director, FSK e.V.), Albrecht Manderscheid (FSK Chairman of the Board, CANNON Deutschland GmbH), Prof Dr.-Ing. Werner Neubauer (Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Brand for the Business Unit Components, Volkswagen AG), Jens-Jürgen Härtel (FSK Board Member, Planning, Business Unit Plastic, Volkswagen AG).
Frankfurt (FSK). What will mobility in Europe and all over the world be like in the future, and what kind of materials will be used to build cars? These and other questions where in the focus of the Specialist Conference Polyurethane hosted by the Specialist Association Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes (FSK) in Wolfsburg. For the first time in the almost 50 year history of the association this year's traditional "International FSK Specialist Conference Polyurethane" was held in Wolfsburg in cooperation with an automobile manufacturer, the Volkswagen AG.
The first Polyurethane (PUR) Specialist Conference was held over 40 years ago and, for many years, was the only conference for this special plastic throughout Europe. Still today the FSK is Europe wide the largest and strongest specialist association for a material that is present in almost all industries: from mattresses and sitting furniture to automotive components, such as seats and instrument panels, to wheels for inline skates, shoe soles and endless technical applications.
To exchange technical ideas and have a look at the markets and latest product developments the industry comes together for the Specialist Conference Polyurethanes every other year, switching off with the presentation of the Innovation Award Polyurethane in even years.
VW Brand Manager Professor Dr. Werner Neubauer and VW Head of Planning in the Business Unit Plastics Dipl.-Ing. Jens-Jürgen Härtel brought the specialist conference to Wolfsburg, on 6/7 October 2011, to promote the technical dialogue. Also invited were students and young talents to promote contacts with the industry and in practice during this meeting of the industry.
"We are honoured and I am very happy that the long established FSK Specialist Conference, with experts from all over the world, will take place in Wolfsburg", said Prof. Dr. Werner Neubauer "At the same time we would like to take the opportunity and emphasize the fantastic material plastic and its importance in vehicle manufacturing."
It was not without reason that the conference took place in VW's AutoUni conference rooms where, on the evening of the 5.10.2011, students received the Innovation Award Foamed Plastics 2011 for the very first time.
Alongside a comprehensive conference program, with visionary and technical lectures, the approx. 250 guests and conference participants, from Germany, the USA, Japan, Saudi Arabia and neighbouring European countries, among them raw material manufacturers, industry representatives, automobile manufacturers, plastic processors and machine builders as well as representatives from the universities, were informed about location strengths and innovation promotion in the Wolfsburg region by the VW Wolfsburg AG Board Members Julius von Ingelheim and Dr. Oliver Syring.
With approx. 900,000 tons of processed polyurethane and about 5 billion Euro sales in Germany the PUR industry covers one-third of the European market making it worldwide one of the strongest "Polyurethane Countries". The co-organiser of the conference Jens-Jürgen Härtel of Volkswagen:
"It's important that everybody in our industry looks beyond the material borders, continuously reassess and experience trends and opportunities to ensure new and innovative products for the future. This conference is a great platform to start-up dialogues, grasp impulses and learn from each other", VW Plastic Expert Härtel declared.