BIOPOLYMER INNOVATION AWARD

Eligible participants

Companies, research institutions and consortia, project groups, or individuals from all over the world and from all sectors with self-developed products or applications made from bioplastics or pioneering technologies for their production, processing, and utilization are eligible to apply for the prize. Applications can be submitted by the originators of the innovations themselves or by external third parties.

Participation criteria

Developments and inventions from the following areas can be submitted for the competition:

• Pioneering products or applications made from bio-based and biodegradable plastics. A prerequisite is the intrinsic biodegradability and environmental compatibility of the submitted plastic products and/or materials. Intrinsic biodegradability means that the materials used can be metabolized by microorganisms and enzymes at the end of their service life and thus become part of natural cycles. Prior certification of biodegradability is not mandatory.
• Only if objective technical reasons preclude biodegradability (e.g., due to safety regulations or physical conditions) can particularly innovative bio-based, but non-biodegradable, materials and products participate in the competition.
• Innovative technologies that significantly simplify, improve the efficiency of, or raise the quality level of the production, processing, or utilization (e.g., recycling, composting) of biopolymers.
• The innovations should have progressed beyond the basic research stage and have realistic chances of market entry or should already be successfully established on the market.

Prices

 The award recognizes outstanding innovations and projects in the field of biopolymers. The winner and the other award recipients receive an official certificate documenting the award, which can be used for the recipient's own corporate communications and public relations. Furthermore, the winning projects benefit from extensive editorial support from PlastXnow: The innovations are featured in our print and online magazine and presented to a broad professional audience via PlastXnow's channels. The award thus combines recognition, professional attention, and lasting visibility, strengthening the perception of the award-winning innovations within the biopolymer community.

Jury & Selection Process

The winners will be selected from all entrants by the jury appointed by Polykum and PlastXnow, which includes the following experts from business, science and media:

•  Dr. Martin Bussmann, Director Material Innovation at Mosca GmbH
• Stefan Lenz, editor-in-chief for the trade magazines PlastXnow, KGK and r.energy, WIN-Verlag GmbH & Co.KG
• Prof. Dr. Patrick Hirsch, Group Leader "Sustainable Materials and Processes" at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS) Halle (Saale) and Honorary Professor in the field of polymer materials at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences
• Peter Putsch, Chairman of POLYKUM e. V. – Association for the Promotion of Polymer Development and Plastics Technology in Central Germany, Merseburg
• Michael Walter, Global Business Development Manager at Wirthwein SE

The nomination of the award winners is based on the published application criteria. All jury members have the same number and weighting of votes. Each member decides independently and autonomously on the allocation of their votes after joint consultation and review of the submissions. Legal recourse is excluded.