What does turnkey look like in reality? The presentation will introduce the state of the market, PMMDA data on automation and digital integrations and the key trends processors are seeking for smart, tech-enabled solutions. 

Learning Objectives
The session aims to explain how these technologies deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, quality and competitiveness.

The plastics industry is increasingly embedding sustainability and circular economy imperatives into materials development, driven by regulation, brand demands, and end-market expectations. However, a major innovation barrier remains: the slow pace and high resource burden of standard biodegradation evaluation, which is misaligned with rapid formulation cycles in materials R&D.

Learning Objective
This session will share case studies and practical insights on deploying accelerated biodegradation screening in industrial plastics R&D, highlighting how this capability can reduce time-to-insight and foster credible, data-driven sustainability innovation across the plastics value chain.

The session will combine three submissions from the biodegradability and compostability department at AIMPLAS, exploring natural polymers, the adoption of biodegradable plastics and barrier properties.

Polymer processing aids improve the processability and quality of polymers during manufacturing by reducing friction between the molten polymer and the processing equipment. They help eliminate melt fracture and die build-up, resulting in a smoother, higher-gloss surface finish, allow for increased production speed, higher output, and reduced energy consumption

Learning Objectives
Extensive R&D by Wells Performance Materials demonstrated that drop-in solutions are an over simplification for the challenges of replacing fluoropolymer based PPA. Organo-modified siloxanes have demonstrated efficacy in certain processes and applications. However, there are in some applications the need to avoid silicone/siloxane derived substances. This leads to the requirement to develop both PFAS-free and PFAS & Siloxane-free PPA masterbatch products.