With the signing of the contract for the endowed professorship for circular fibre-based packaging systems, TU Dresden will become a central location for innovative research, development and teaching in the field of recyclable packaging.
The TU Dresden (TUD) and the Verband Die Papierindustrie with its research foundation are thus taking a further step towards sustainable packaging solutions. The paper industry is funding the professorship with 250,000 euros per year over a period of five years, starting with the appointment of the professor.
With the establishment of the professorship, the field of knowledge of material cycles for packaging at the TUD is to be further profiled in the future. Through the establishment of the endowed professorship at the Institute of Natural Materials Technology in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering existing expertise is utilised in a targeted manner. The aim is to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the packaging industry.
The endowed professorship focuses on the research and teaching of materials, processes and technologies that enable functionally reliable, efficient and resource-saving packaging with recyclable system solutions. A particular focus is on on understanding the complex interactions between product, packaging, processes and machine systems along the production and recycling cycle. It is the basis for system solutions that utilise a growing range of alternative packaging materials intelligently, safely and efficiently for recyclable packaging.
„The challenges of our time are as complex as they are urgent: the growing demands for sustainable solutions in the packaging sector require new approaches that are not only functional, but also ecologically pioneering. The foundation is therefore much more than a milestone - it is a promise to actively shape the future.“
Hans-Christoph Gallenkamp, President of the Association of the Paper Industry and patron of the endowed professorship
Dr Thorsten Voß, Chairman of the Research Foundation of the Paper Industry, emphasised at the signing of the contract: „Together with the University of Excellence TU Dresden and in particular the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, we are creating a cluster for the fibre-based circular economy that is unparalleled in Germany. In particular, we use the existing industrial network of the PTS - Institute for Fibres & Paper, to provide solutions for our partners as quickly as possible.“
Prof. Dr Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of the Technische Universität Dresden, recognises the importance of the new professorship for Dresden as a research location: „With the establishment of this endowed professorship, we as the TUD and also as Dresden as a location, together with the paper industry, are setting new standards in research. a strong signal in favour of the importance of science in overcoming the challenges of the climate crisis. The endowed professorship is a milestone on the way to a circular and sustainable economy.“
In addition to the professorship a joint competence centre under the umbrella of TU Dresden in the future, which is being realised in collaboration with partners such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) and the PTS - Institut für Fasern & Papier gGmbH. This unique interdisciplinary structure is intended to serve as a central contact point for research, transfer and training in the field of sustainable packaging systems and strengthen Dresden's visibility as a location for innovative packaging solutions.
Source: Dresden University of Technology
