The Fraunhofer Pilot Plant Centre for Polymer Synthesis and Processing PAZ in Schkopau (Saalekreis) presents a Europe-wide unique offer to the plastics industry. The research facility will now be expanded with funds from the EU, the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. With a fund of € 10 million, around 1,000 square meters of usable space will be added and equipped with state-of-the-art machinery. The pilot plant center will be equipped for applications around lightweight construction, digital component development, and production processes in plastics processing, which are optimized for Industry 4.0 and will offer extended technical equipment for the production of thermoplastic fiber composite components. The expanded pilot plant center will also offer even better options for the use of bio-based materials.

Hans-Joachim Hennings, Department Head for Innovation, Business Development and Digitization Projects at the Ministry of Economics, Science and Digitization of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, hopes that the pilot plant center will provide solutions and competitive advantages not just for the plastics industry, but across many industries, creating interlinkages with the performance center for chemical and biosystem technology.

Read more here (in German)