In the impressive setting of the old forging hall of the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf, the premiere of the Circular Valley Convention took place on 8500 m² from March 12 to 13, 2025. The event was organized by Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with the Circular Valley Foundation and with scientific support from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, the lead institute of the Fraunhofer Cluster CCPE.

Over 200 top speakers, including our Fraunhofer President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner as head of the Fraunhofer CCPE and eleven CCPE employees - including Prof. Dr. Andrea Büttner and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen - presented innovative approaches to the topic of plastics recycling management. “These were two days full of intensive discussions and an inspiring atmosphere, and at a pace rarely seen before! The line-up of companies and speakers was impressive!” emphasized Manfred Renner.

In particular, our interactive miniature wonderland of the circular economy attracted visitors to our stand. Here they were able to experience the material flows optimized by Fraunhofer CCPE in a replica CCPE world in everyday life. In addition, our circular design demonstrator, an innovative child seat in mono-material construction, and the recycling cascade provided an opportunity for initial project discussions.

We would like to thank all participants for the stimulating discussions and are already looking forward to next year!