Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPEJonathan Haas is the new Head of the Research Department ‘Application and Demonstration’. In this interview, Jonathan gives us an insight into his work and visions for the future of the circular plastics economy. Find out how he and his team develop technology demonstrators that visualise the relevance and applicability of innovations on an industrial scale and what goals they are pursuing for the circularity of lightweight construction applications.
What are you working on at the Fraunhofer CCPE?
I work closely with the other researchers in the CCPE team to develop technology demonstrators that make the relevance and applicability of CCPE innovations tangible on an industrial scale. I also deal with the scale-up of material and process innovations in large-scale production processes, e.g. in injection moulding or compression moulding processes. I also look at the possibilities of recycling in lightweight construction applications - the focus here is on fibre-reinforced plastics.
Do you have a specific project example or why is this interesting for industry/society?
The overarching purpose of the activities mentioned is the transfer of technology and knowledge between applied research and industrial companies from various sectors. Ideally, this is not a one-way street. By transferring our innovations and expertise to companies, we can learn a lot about industry- and application-specific requirements. This is an important basis for our applied, industry-orientated research work.
What are your hopes for the future of Fraunhofer CCPE?
According to the Circularity Gap Report, the so-called ‘circularity degree’, i.e. the proportion of actually recycled materials in the total materials processed, was only 7.2% in 2023 - and the trend is falling. At the CCPE, we are working with our industry partners to reverse this trend. My hope for the future is that one day we will be able to look back and see that we have made a significant contribution to the success of this endeavour.
What invention in the field of Circular Plastics Economy are you personally hoping for?
As part of my doctorate, I focussed on lightweight construction technologies and materials. The focus was on fibre-reinforced plastics - an extremely versatile class of materials with fascinating potential. Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to recycle the materials used economically in many applications. I am therefore particularly enthusiastic about the approaches to self-reinforced composites (SRCs) that have been (further) developed as part of the CCPE.
