Conference  /  March 24, 2026  -  March 26, 2026

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Franke on new processes for plastic recycling and Dr. Thomas Fehn on recycling technologies for non-reusable textiles.

Fraunhofer UMSICHT participates in the  »Go Circular Summit 2026« in Mannheim. Matthias Franke, Head of the Sulzbach-Rosenberg Institute, will present the scaling of an autocatalytic recycling process for the production of high-purity aromatics from plastics that are difficult to recycle. In addition, Thomas Fehn, Group Manager for Chemical Recycling and Downstream Processes, will report on the European research project AUTOLOOP, which deals with integrated recycling technologies for textile waste.  

The Go Circular Summit 2026 addresses stakeholders from across the plastics and textile recycling ecosystem, from policymakers to brand owners and recycling companies to technology innovators. The event brings together the entire value chain to address challenges, find solutions, and accelerate Europe's transition to a circular economy.

Scientists from Fraunhofer UMSICHT will present various research findings:

GO CIRCULAR SUMMIT / Session: ADVANCES IN CHEMICAL RECYCLING: TRANSFORMING HARD TO RECYCLE PLASTICS THROUGH CHEMICAL INNOVATION

Matthias Franke on methods for the pre-treatment and post-treatment of raw materials for the chemical recycling of plastic waste
»From Lab to Pilot: Scaling an Autocatalytic Recycling Process to Produce High-Purity Aromatics from Hard-to-Recycle Plastics«

(25. March 2026 / 11 Uhr)

TEXTILE RECYCLING FOCUS DAY / Session: Textile Recycling Technologies. Mixed Fibres, Blends, and Elastane – Can We Really Recycle This?

Thomas Fehn about EU project on textile recycling  »AUTOLOOP: Advancing Next-Generation Sorting and Recycling Technologies for Non-Rewearable Textiles«

(24. March 2026 / 13.30 Uhr)