In this interview recorded at the K 2025 Preview, Dr. Henning Stieglitz, CEO of battenfeld-cincinnati, outlines four key technologies the company will showcase at the upcoming K Show: the high-output Solex NG105 for pipe extrusion, a multi-touch system for thin sheet production, a flexible dual-extruder PVC “piggyback” solution, and the autonomous IQ Stack profile handling system. He also highlights the company’s global investments in energy-efficient infrastructure and emphasizes the K trade fair’s central role in launching the latest industry innovations.
At the K 2025 Preview in Düsseldorf, Caroline Chamard from Sepro Robotique shared what visitors can expect from the company at this year’s show. A major highlight will be the debut of the new S9 robot range, offering increased speed, payload capacity, and stroke length - specifically designed for high-tech automation cells. Sepro will also introduce a new controller featuring improved ergonomics, more intuitive navigation, enhanced connectivity, and greater processing power. A special dual - mobile robot setup will showcase Sepro’s ability to deliver customized robotic configurations tailored to specific customer needs - for example, one robot handling part removal from the IMM while the other manages downstream operations.
In this interview recorded at the EMG Pre-K event in Rotterdam, Péter Császár – CEO of MOL Petrochemicals and SVP of MOL Group Chemicals – discusses the company’s strategic response to market uncertainty. He outlines how the company is cutting costs, focusing on propylene, and expanding production, including its largest-ever investment in polyol, ahead of K 2025.
At the EMG Pre-K event in Rotterdam, we spoke with Francesco Triulzi from Syensqo - a newly established company with deep roots, spun off from Solvay in 2023. Although Syensqo is only one year old, it draws on more than 160 years of expertise in specialty chemistry.
Triulzi highlighted that Syensqo specializes in high-performance specialty polymers - advanced materials known for their exceptional chemical resistance, thermal stability, mechanical strength, and lightweight properties. These attributes make them well-suited for creating more sustainable solutions across a wide range of industries.
The company is heavily investing in application development to bring its innovations to market faster and better support its customers. At K 2025, Syensqo will showcase tangible examples of how its materials help address major global challenges. Key focus areas include electrification, digital transformation, medical advancements, and environmental sustainability.
Triulzi concluded by inviting visitors to discover Syensqo’s innovations at the upcoming K show in Düsseldorf.
At the EMG Pre-K event in Rotterdam, we spoke with Sandra Fernandez Freixa from GCR, a recycler and compounder based in Tarragona, about 45 minutes south of Barcelona. The company exports most of its production across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Sandra highlighted GCR’s recent investments, including the commissioning of an advanced mechanical recycling facility focused on producing high-quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials. These materials are primarily targeted at brand owners and large processors who are under increasing pressure to meet ambitious sustainability goals.
GCR’s approach combines cutting-edge mechanical recycling with compounding expertise, allowing them to deliver customized solutions with properties close to those of virgin materials. This positions the company to serve demanding applications in packaging, personal care, household goods, and increasingly, the automotive industry.
Sandra also announced the creation of a new, independent company within the group, dedicated entirely to supplying advanced recycled compounds for automotive and appliance applications. In addition, GCR will soon launch a new product line under a different brand, focusing on high-performance PCR materials. This launch is set to take place around the K 2025 show in Düsseldorf.
At the upcoming K fair, GCR plans to showcase three key areas of its business: its mineral masterbatch product line under the Granic name, the new brand dedicated to PCR materials, and the newly established company serving the automotive sector. Visitors to their booth will also have the chance to learn more about GCR’s Innovation Hub and ongoing R&D efforts aimed at new applications and market segments.
Sandra emphasized that one of the company’s strengths lies in its ability to deliver consistent supply at scale, an increasingly important factor for major industry players. GCR invites customers, partners, and media to visit their stand at K 2025 to see firsthand how they are driving forward sustainable and scalable solutions for the plastics industry.
During the EMG Pre-K media event in Rotterdam, Sven Riechers from INEOS Styrolution highlighted a breakthrough in the mechanical recycling of polystyrene for food-grade applications in the dairy sector. He revealed that INEOS Styrolution, in collaboration with Müller and PreZero, has successfully launched yogurt cups made from 100% mechanically recycled polystyrene - now available in Lidl supermarkets in Germany.
This initiative establishes a fully circular, repeatable “cup-to-cup” system and complies with the latest European Commission regulations for food-contact materials.
Additionally, INEOS Styrolution will showcase its ABS ECO portfolio at the show, including Novodur pre-colored grades with up to 50% recycled content, already used in consumer products such as POX-branded headphones, as well as Terluran ECO variants offering up to 100% bio-attributed content, certified under ISCC PLUS.
INEOS Styrolution warmly invites visitors to explore these scalable, circular-material solutions at their booth during K 2025 in Düsseldorf.
In an interview recorded during the EMG Pre-K media event in Rotterdam, Mathijs Preenen from Kisuma Chemicals B.V. introduced a new additive for polypropylene (PP) - Setogem RD, a dual-function solution that acts as both a nucleating agent and an acid scavenger. The product is designed to simplify formulations while improving processing performance and supporting sustainability goals.
Setogem RD enhances the crystallization behavior of polypropylene, resulting in improved stiffness, impact resistance, and isotropic shrinkage. At the same time, it provides effective acid scavenging without migration or blooming, even at very low dosages - just 200 to 300 ppm. The formulation is zinc-free and palm-free, contributing to a low carbon footprint and helping meet increasingly strict environmental and regulatory requirements.
This new polypropylene additive has already received food contact approval in the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil, and Japan, with FDA approval expected by the end of 2025. As a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional additives like talc and sodium benzoate, Setogem RD enables processors to reduce CO₂ emissions and eliminate talc exposure in manufacturing environments.
The product will be showcased at K 2025 in Düsseldorf, at Kisuma’s booth in Hall 8B, Stand H31.
Richard Verbeek, CEO of EMG, presents the idea behind Pre-K, a media event organized ahead of the K Show 2025. The event brought together nearly 30 editors from 44 international trade publications to meet directly with clients from the chemical and plastics industries. The aim was to provide editors with early, personal insights into the innovations companies plan to showcase at K 2025. Verbeek highlights EMG’s role as a platform that connects clients with the media and confirms that EMG will attend the K Show with a team of 12 to support clients in media relations and communication efforts.
At Plastpol 2025, Bjørn Thorsen A/S is showcasing its expanded portfolio of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). As Mikko Långström highlights, the company has recently received an extended mandate from its key partner, Celanese, to distribute brands such as Santoprene TPV and Hytrel TPC across the entire European market - including Poland. Bjørn Thorsen is a family-owned company with over 60 years of history. Originally founded in Denmark, it now operates on a pan-European scale. In addition to the plastics industry, the company also serves the coatings and adhesives sectors. It offers both branded materials and its own customized compounds.
At JEC World 2025, Matthias Mayr, Head of ENGEL Composite Systems, presents the highlights of the ENGEL booth, focusing on innovative thermoplastic composite solutions. He discusses new developments in injection molding combined with endless fiber solutions, such as organo sheets and tapes. A live demonstration showcases a bike handlebar produced using gas injection technology, featuring an automation system that integrates carbon fiber tapes into the injection molding process, emphasizing advancements in lightweight and reinforced composite materials.
At JEC World 2025, Rolf Mack, Vice President of Additive Manufacturing at Krauss Maffei, introduces the company's latest innovations in reaction process technology and additive manufacturing. The highlight of their showcase is the debut of their newest product line—the Industry Robot System, an extrusion-based large-scale additive manufacturing solution. Key applications include molds, patterns, and end-use parts, with a strong presence in the aerospace and automotive industries. The technology enables the replacement of conventionally manufactured aluminum and wooden parts with more stable, automated, and resource-efficient alternatives. A major advantage is the reusability of compounds, offering both sustainability and cost benefits.
Anne-Carole Barbarin from JEC Group announces the launch of Forum Central Europe, a new event organized in partnership with Targi Expo. Scheduled for September 17-18 in Kraków, the forum will focus on fostering collaboration and innovation in the composites sector by connecting key industry players. The event will feature pre-arranged business meetings, a conference program, and a focus on technological advancements to support the growth and development of the industry.
