3rd IPPT_TWINN Conference

The conference is organized free of charge and in hybrid form.  CONFERENCE REGISTRATION HERE.

 

The aim of the 3rd IPPT_TWINN conference is to connect different stakeholders from industry and academia interested in the topic of metal replacement and lightweight polymer composites, with a focus on the important industry sectors where lightweight polymer composites are most widely used: automotive, aerospace, marine, sports equipment, energy, building sector and others, including sessions on end-of-life solutions (circularity), new materials and technologies.

The first day will include plenary plenary speakers and sessions focusing on industry applications, including materials, technologies, and circularity solutions, and will end with a panel discussion. In the afternoon, a B2B session will be organized and in parallel also a 3 hour Open training on research funding opportunities.

The training will focus on the following topics:

  • Basic information on Horizon Europe and the grants
  • How to search for the right grant/call
  • Winning proposal essential features
  • Examples of current calls on the topic of biobased and sustainable materials

The lecturers/trainers are very well experienced researchers, project managers of a Spanish Technological centre AITIIP, which currently manages more than 15 Horizon Europe projects and submits more than 60 applications for Horizon Europe grants per year. They focus mostly on polymer materials and technologies.

The second day will showcase current research findings and will include plenary speakers, invited speakers and accepted scientific contributions in sessions on materials, technologies, circularity solutions, prediction models, testing methodologies and more.

Main goals are to share knowledge, good practices, ideas and to make new connections between R&D institutions and companies and between different companies in the value chain. With interesting presentations on status and trends, new research findings and innovations, real life case studies from companies, a panel discussion of experts and B2B meetings we expect to create new partnerships and value chains between and among academia and industry stakeholders.

The conference is organised within the project IPPT_TWINN with the main objective to increase the knowledge of polymer processing at FTPO. This will be achieved both through joint scientific work with 4 partners from 4 EU countries, covering several advanced processing techniques and through the organization of a series of events such as workshops, summer schools, expert visits, etc. The project is conducted on the basis of the Grand Agreement for an Action with multiple beneficiaries within the Horizon Europe Framework Programme and the Twinning (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03) call, project number 101079051.

 

Conference topics include, but are not limited to:​

  • Trends, challenges, and new opportunities in lightweight polymer composites, including innovative materials and advanced composites
  • Cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, processes, and design optimisation strategies for composite materials and metal replacement
  • Applications in key sectors such as automotive, aerospace, marine, sports equipment, wind energy adding sectores building…, and other emerging fields, with a focus on sector-specific challenges and solutions
  • Circularity solutions, sustainable practices, and end-of-life management in composite manufacturing, addressing environmental concerns and regulatory requirements
  • New prediction models, simulation techniques, and testing methodologies for composite materials, including performance analysis and long-term durability assessments
  • Cost-effective solutions and strategies for large-scale adoption of lightweight composites across various industries

 

The dates for abstract submission are:

  • 10th March 2025: 30th March 2025: Abstract submission
  • 30th March 2025: 15th April 2025: Notification of the submission acceptance.
  • 15th March 2025: 30th March 2025: Draft program of the conference
  • 25th May 2025: Final Programme.
  • 4th – 5th of June 2025: Conference.

A book of abstracts will be published.

 

REGISTRATION AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

In order to register the participant must fill in the registration questionnaire. 

Link to the registration questionnaire HERE.

For abstract submission, check the abstract template here.

The abstract must be sent to janez.slapnik@ftpo.eu until 30th March 2025.

 

PLENARY SPEAKERS

Prof. Dr. Gion Andrea Barandun
Prof. Dr. Gion Andrea Barandun

Prof. for composites and lightweight design

OST - OSTSCHWEIZER FACHHOCHSCHULE, Switzerland

The Versatility of Composites

Professor Dr. Gion Barandun is group leader of the composites and lightweight department within the IWK Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing. He studied mechanical engineering at ETH in Zurich, with a strong focus on processing of composite materials and afterwards enrolled in a PhD at the Centre of Structure Technologies, where he developed injection strategies for Resin Transfer Molding processes based on genetic algorithms. In 2007, he joined OST as a senior scientist and has since then worked in education and applied research and development. He is Technical Director of Swiss SAMPE Chapter and Member of the Board of Composites United Switzerland.

dr. Niccolo Pini
Dr. Niccolo Pini

founder and managing director of Doroangus Consulting

DOROANGUS CONSULTING, Switzerland

Understanding the difference between "exercises in style" and true "composite recycling": An overview of the many ways to re-process composite materials

Mr. Niccolo Pini studied material engineering at the ETH Zurich, where he also wrote his dissertation. He started his first company, kringlan composites AG, in 2007, where he developed the worldwide first full-carbon thermoplastic car wheel, suitable for mass production. After this experience he founded in 2016 next composites GmbH, which he later sold to Ensinger and he was head of its "Composite Materials" division until 2024, manufacturing a wide portfolio of thermoplastic composites prepregs and semi-finished materials. Since 2024 he is an independent technical consulting specialised in thermoplastic composites processing as well as recycling of composite materials.

DAY 1

SESSION – AUTOMOTIVE
(15 minutes per speaker)

Dr. Cristina Elizetxea Ezeiza, PhD.
Dra. Cristina Elizetxea Ezeiza, PhD.

Responsible of Sustainable and Multifunctional Polymers

TECNALIA, Spain

CAPROCAST A TECHNOLOGY FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF LIGHTWEIGHT THERMOPLASTIC STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

Dr. Cristina Elizetxea graduates in Chemical Science in the University of Basque Country (1992) and PhD in Chemistry in the University of Basque Country (2000). She is currently Project Manager and Responsible for Sustainable and Multifunctional Polymers in the Process and Materials Area of the Unit of Industry and Mobility at TECNALIA. She has more than 20 years research experience in the field of composite materials mainly oriented to thermoplastic technologies (extrusion, injection, compression) and recycling technologies for both, thermoplastic and thermosetting materials. Since the last ten years, her main activity is focused on the industrialization of the in-situ polymerization and molding process of anionic APA6, for automotive continuous fiber thermoplastic composites. Five patents, four co-directed PhD Thesis (one in progress), industrial projects and several scientific publications and contributions to workshops and congress justify her expertise.

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Andreas Hausberger
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Andreas Hausberger

Chief Research Officer (CRO) at royos joining solutions GmbH

ROYOS JOINING SOLUTIONS GMBH, Austria

Innovative approaches in plastic-metal stir welding: Applications and potential in lightweight construction

Dr. Andreas Hausberger has studied polymer engineering at the Montanuniversitaet Leoben. After his master degree he finished his PhD in the field of polymer tribology. After 15 years in application-oriented research at the PCCL, recently as division manager in the field of elastomer technology and process optimization, in 2024 Mr. Hausberger moved on to industry working as a CRO at royos joining solutions GmbH, developing an innovative friction stir welding tool joining polymers with metal, composite and wood. Mr. Hausberger has more than 20 years’ experience in polymer science related topics. His main research interests are in the field of failure analysis, method development, optimization of materials and components for tribological systems. In an academic context he is lecturing at the faculty of polymer technology in Slovenia the subject polymer physics. He is author and co-author of over 40 articles in scientific journals with IF.

Marcel Schubiger
Marcel Schubiger

Customer Support Engineer Automotive; Project Development Leader

BCOMP, Switzerland

From Race to Road, natural fiber composites in a serial car application

Being a truck mechanic and composites parts laminator for several years, I decided to study mechanical engineering, and degreed in 1999 with a bachelor’s in science from University of Applied Sciences, Rapperswil (Switzerland). In my first engagement as a degreed engineer at EMS-Chemie, I got in touch with thermoplastics and commingled yarns. Moving-on to DOW Automotive and doing metal panel reinforcements and structural adhesives, I went back to F1-Motorsports and being the head of composites production. Some years later, I started my own business for material and process development and got connected with Bcomp SA, in which I am responsible for the industrialization of a specific natural fiber composites application.

Mr. Dipl.Ing. Carsten Kleine
Mr. Dipl.Ing. Carsten Kleine

CEO Siltex

SILTEX FLECHT- UND ISOLIERTECHNOLOGIE GMBH &CO KG, Germany

Fibre-Reinforced Parts made from HybridFiber

Carsten Kleine is the CEO of SILTEX Flecht- und Isoliertechnologie GmbH & Co. KG. A trained toolmaker and engineer, he has been working with steel, aluminum, and fiber reinforcements for 37 years. Growing up in the automotive industry, he has gained extensive experience in advanced materials and manufacturing. SILTEX supplies high-performance solutions to various industries, including automotive, aerospace, aircraft, railway, medical, orthopedics, construction, and energy sectors such as power plants, wind power, and watercraft.

Dr. Boštjan Žagar
Dr. Boštjan Žagar

Managing director at Polymer.si Group

POLYMER GROUP, Slovenia

Development and manufacturing lightweight thermoplastic composite products in low&mid series sectors

With an extensive polymer processing background, he founded the company Polymer.si in 2010 that has evolved into one of the EU's main one-stop shop for development and manufacturing of lightweight composite products. Specializing in both thermoset and thermoplastic composites processing in-house, we deliver state-of-the-art thermoplastic composite materials even for small production series. Incorporating smart and agile design approach results in lightweight and sustainable future.

Rui Soares
Rui Soares

Senior Researcher in Business Innovation at CENTIMFE

CENTIMFE, Portugal

From Metal to Polymer: Industrial Demonstrators with Lightweight Composites for Automotive Applications

Rui Soares has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is currently senior researcher in Business Innovation at CENTIMFE, being previously manager of Technology Intelligence, 3D Printing and Product Development areas. With extensive experience in industry, academia and as consultant, he has led several European R&D projects and is author and organizer of multiple publications and conferences in different fields of Engineering.

Dipl.-Ing. Karl SCHNETZINGER
Dipl.-Ing. Karl SCHNETZINGER

Sole Owner of Advanced Polymer Compounds

ADVANCED POLYMER COMPOUNDS, Austria

Long Fiber Thermoplastic Direct-molding (LFT-D) - a cost-efficient process for large thermoplastic composite parts

Dipl.-Ing. Karl Schnetzinger has studied polymer engineering at the Montanuniversitaet Leoben. After his master’s degree he worked as a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Montanuniversitaet Leoben in the field of formulation and modification of thermoplastic materials. Karl Schnetzinger founded Advanced Polymer Compounds (A.P.C.) 2002 as an engineering service company to support product development projects. After some successful developments of reactive modified nylon polymers, a compounding line was installed. Focus of A.P.C. is the modification of nylon materials as well as post-consumer polymers. K. Schnetzinger is also providing services as an independent technical consulter supporting polymer raw material suppliers as well as polymer processing companies.

Dr. Primož Štefane
Dr. Primož Štefane

Mechanical Integrity Engineer

RIMAC TECHNOLOGY D.O.O., Croatia

The Challenges of Materials Engineering in EV Battery Packs

Dr. Primož Štefane completed his studies in mechanical engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, where he worked as a teaching and research assistant. During this time, he focused on Fracture Mechanics and Structural Integrity Assessment, gaining hands-on experience with finite element methods and coupon- and component-level testing. His research in these areas culminated in the completion of his PhD. In 2022, Dr. Štefane transitioned to industry, joining Rimac Technology d.o.o. as a Simulations Engineer. There, he contributed to structural simulations of EV powertrains and the characterization of materials for both EV powertrains and battery pack applications. In 2023, Dr. Štefane advanced to the role of Mechanical Integrity Engineer at Rimac Technology d.o.o., where he collaborates with the powertrain and battery systems engineering departments to implement structural integrity assessment procedures into the R&D workflow. Leveraging his expertise in materials testing, he also dedicates part of his time to the development of the Materials Testing Laboratory, as well as the characterization of polymer-based, composite, and metallic materials, and the calibration of corresponding material models used in finite element analysis.

SESSION – AEROSPACE

prof. dr. Tomaž Rodič
prof. dr. Tomaž Rodič

Director of SPACE-SI, Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies

SPACE-SI, CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR SPACE SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGIES, Slovenia

Design of microsatellites and selection of reliable material combinations

Prof. dr. Tomaž Rodič is the director of the Slovenian Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies (SPACE-SI) and full professor for the area of Engineering Materials at University of Ljubljana. His main research interests are in the areas of small satellite technologies and numerical modelling in continuum physics with projects dedicated to the first Slovenian microsatellite mission Nemo-HD for video and multispectral imaging, development of transportable ground station system STREAM and integration of advanced data processing chain into SPACE-SI remote sensing system. He has established Centre for Computational Continuum Mechanics C3M for the development of Digital Twin Models for coupled Multi-physics, Multi-scale, Multi-body, Multi-phase and Multi-objective (M5) systems in converging sciences and engineering. The bibliography of prof. Rodič comprises more than 230 units including 120 scientific papers.

Iztok Šalamon
Iztok Šalamon

Founder, CEO GOGETAIR

GOGETAIR, Slovenia

Importace of light weight composite materials in designing airplanes

Iztok Šalamon is a Slovenian aviation engineer, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of GOGETAIR, an aviation company specializing in the research, development and production of the G750 aircraft in both turbine and piston configurations. With extensive expertise in aviation, he is a certified commercial pilot, flight instructor, test pilot, and glider pilot.

Jascha Schmied
Jascha Schmied

Engineering team at the Bionic Composite Technologies AG

BIONIC COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGIES AG, Switzerland

From haute couture to high tech composite parts

Jascha Schmied has studied mechanical engineering with a specialization in lightweight design, adaptive materials, and composites at ETH Zurich. Following his studies, he remained at ETH to work as a research and teaching assistant at the CMASLab (Laboratory of Composite Materials and Adaptive Structures). His research focused on the development of metamaterials for structural damping applications. Since 2020, he is working in the engineering team of the Bionic Composite Technologies AG in St. Gallen, Switzerland. There, he is developing composite parts manufactured using a tailored fiber placement process, in keeping with the traditions of the local textile industry.

SESSION – SPORTS EQUIPMENT
(15 minutes per speaker)

Martin Rudolph
Martin Rudolph

Managing Director (Kunststoffwerk AG Buchs) CEO KWB/svismold

SVISMOLD, Switzerland

Development and Production of UD-Tape enforced Thermoplastic Components in Injection Molding Processing

In 2006 joined Martin Rudolph svismold as general manager. Born close to Munich, Bavaria he studied Production and Business Engineering in Germany and started his career as product and project manager at an international well known construction supplier. In his working experience he strived always to gain innovation driven excellencies by using new materials and technologies. Since he introduced Thermoplastic Composite Element production at svismold, more than 4 Million parts have been sold.

Gergő Zsolt MARTON
Gergő Zsolt MARTON

Project engineer – Flaar Performance Sailing

PHD STUDENT – DEPARTMENT OF POLYMER ENGINEERING, BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS, Hungary

Development and manufacturing of composite sailing boats at Flaar Performance Sailing

Gergő Zsolt Marton works as a project engineer at Flaar Performance Sailing in the field of composite engineering with a focus on the development and finite element analysis of composite structures. Besides, he is a PhD Student at the Department of Polymer Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics. His research interests include modeling and non-destructive testing of composites and the development of methods to influence and control the failure behavior of composite materials.

Herfried Lammer
Herfried Lammer

Chief Innovation Officer

HEAD SPORT GMBH, Austria

Performance vs sustainability in emotional lightweight composite parts like sporting goods

HEAD Sport GmbH is a global leading brand in the field of racquet and winter sports. Lightweight high performance composite parts like a tennis racket or a ski help professional athletes and amateurs in proceeding the specific sport at highest possible level. As Chief Innovation Officer Herfried Lammer is now responsible for innovations for the whole group, matching performance and innovation requirements with sustainability or safety issues. He graduated from Montanuniversität Leoben, focusing on all types of composites in his previous career at HEAD Sport and at Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH.

SESSION – ENERGY AND BUILDING
(15 minutes per speaker)

Dr. Gergely Lipóczi
Dr. Gergely Lipóczi

Commercial director of the eCon Engineering Kft.

ECON ENGINEERING KFT., Hungary

Composites in renewable energy – engineering challenges

Dr Greg Lipoczi is working with composites for more than 18 years, started in manufacturing of automotive, rail, wind energy and aerospace parts in the Omikron Group, continued in working with engineering of wind turbine blades, marine and automotive applications at STRUCTeam, joined the Renault-Nissan Alliances in 2017 dealing with process excellence and digital transformation and since 2019 he is the commercial lead at Scott Bader responsible for New Technologies, 3D Printing and Bioresins. Since 2023 he is the commercial director of Econ Engineering, providing engineering simulation and analysis services for aerospace, defense, automotive and composites areas. Greg has a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, is a Lean Practitioner, has a Doctorate degree in law, a Masters Degree in economics and various qualifications in composites.

Jasmina Turnšek
Jasmina Turnšek

Researcher, R&D Synthetic resins

HELIOS RESINS, Slovenia

Unsaturated polyester resins (USP) for transport, marine and wind applications

I earned my degree in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Ljubljana. After graduation, I joined the National Institute of Chemistry, working in the Polymer Chemistry and Technology department. Over 15 years, I was involved in synthesis and analysis across various research projects, focusing on pharmaceuticals and polymer material recycling. For the past three years, I have been a researcher in the synthetic resins department at KANSAI HELIOS Slovenija in Preska. I immediately took on the development of foaming resin while also exploring the world of composite materials, supported by an incredible team.

DAY 2

SESSION – TECHNOLOGIES

DI Dr. Markus Wolfahrt
DI Dr. Markus Wolfahrt

Manager of divison Polymers and Composites for Structural Applications

POLYMER COMPETENCE CENTER LEOBEN GMBH, Austria

Novel matrix materials for high pressure hydrogen storage composite vessels

Dr. Markus Wolfahrt (m) studied Polymer Engineering and Science at the Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), received his Master degree in 2002 and graduated to PhD in 2009. He subsequently worked as a post-doc at the Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH PCCL (Austria) and in the R&D department at the tier-1 aerospace supplier FACC (Austria). Currently, Dr. Wolfahrt is responsible for the division "Polymers and Composites for Structural Applications" at PCCL. Since 2012, he has also been a university lecturer at Montanuniversität Leoben, teaching Composite Testing at M.Sc. level. His research field covers material science and testing of polymer matrix materials and fiber-reinforced composites as well as structural integrity and durability of adhesively bonded composites.

SESSION – TESTING AND PREDICTION METHODOLOGIES

Univ.Prof. Dr.techn. DI Clara Schuecker
Univ.Prof. Dr.techn. DI Clara Schuecker

/

MONTANUNIVERSITAET LEOBEN, Austria

Failure mechanisms in polymer composite laminates - testing, quantification, and modeling

Clara Schuecker is a Full Professor at Montanuniversitaet Leoben, specializing in plastic and composite materials. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from TU Vienna and has conducted research at Syracuse University, NASA Langley, and TU Vienna. She previously ran an engineering consulting firm in Vienna. Her recognitions include the TU-Frauenpreis (2016), a NASA Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2007), and the Amelia Earhart Fellowship (2004). She was a finalist for the ECCOMAS Best PhD Thesis Award and reached the third round of the 2008 European Astronaut Selection. A former Austrian ice hockey champion, she also represented the national team.

SESSION – MATERIALS

Raquel Navarro
Raquel Navarro

PhD candidate

AITIIP CENTRO TECNOLÓGICO, Spain

Thermoplastic biocomposites for 3D printing

Raquel is an Industrial Design Engineer from the University of Zaragoza, with expertise in Additive Manufacturing technologies and the development of sustainable materials. Besides, she is currently pursuing her doctoral research. With around five years of experience, Raquel has worked on both European and national projects, focusing on innovative construction materials for the New European Bauhaus and exploring novel applications like 3D printing for orthopaedic solutions.

SESSION – CIRCULABILITY SOLUTIONS

Zahra Shahroodi
Zahra Shahroodi

Researcher PhD. student, Polymer Recycling & Sustainability

MONTANUNIVERSITÄT LEOBEN, Austria

Challenges & Opportunities for the End-of-Life Recycling of Wintersport Hardgoods

Zahra Shahroodi is a researcher at the Institute for Polymer Processing at Montanuniversität Leoben. Her research focuses on advancing sustainable solutions in polymer processing, with key involvement in two major projects. In her PhD. project called "LightCycle", she develops an innovative one-step recycling process for fiber-reinforced plastics. Additionally, through the "WINTRUST" project, the team explore strategies for establishing an ecological, economical, and socially sustainable circular economy within Austria’s winter sports industry, optimizing it for selected ski sport products.

Péter SÁNTHA
Péter SÁNTHA

PhD Student

BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS, DEPARTMENT OF POLYMER ENGINEERING, Hungary

Sustainability issues and recycling in carbon fiber composites, state-of-the-art

Peter Sántha received his MSc in Polymer Engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) in 2022 and is currently working toward a PhD in Composite Engineering at BME. Since 2021, he has been an assistant at the Department of Polymer Engineering (DPE). Over the course of his career, he has gained valuable experience at the MTA Wigner Research Center for Physics and the DPE by contributing to academic and industrial research projects. Currently, he is a member of the MTA-BME Lendület Sustainable Polymers Research Group, HUN-REN-BME Research Group for Composite Science and Technology. His research interests focus on recycling of composites and sustainability, additive manufacturing and finite element modeling.

DI Dr. Klaus Straka
DI Dr. Klaus Straka

Head of LIT Factory

LIT FACTORY | JKU, Austria

LIT Factory - A Pilot Factory for the Thermoplastic Circular Composite Production Value Chain

DI Dr. Klaus Straka studied mechatronics at Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) / Austria, with a focus on control systems engineering and process automation. After completing his studies, he worked for several years in the private sector, developing technological control systems, including those for injection molding machines. In 2010, he returned to JKU and completed his dissertation at the newly founded **Institute of Polymer Injection Moulding and Process Automation**. Since January 2024, he has been the head of LIT Factory, a process engineering pilot plant at JKU. His main research interest lies in digitalization and digital transformation along the value chain in plastics processing. In addition, Klaus Straka is the co-founder of Moldsonics GmbH, a start-up specializing in the development of ultrasound-based sensor systems for plastics processing.

Nuša Pavlinjek Slavinec
Nuša Pavlinjek Slavinec

Director

ROTO, Slovenia

Closing the Loop in Rotational Molding: Integrating PIR, PCR into Sustainable Production

Nuša Pavlinjek Slavinec is the CEO and co-owner of ROTO ECO and ROTO Slovenia, leading manufacturers of products made from recycled polymers using rotational molding technology. Under her leadership, the company operates in 65 countries and develops innovative, circular economy-based solutions, successfully integrating recycled materials into production. In 2022, she was honored with the highest recognition from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia for outstanding business achievements – the so-called "Business Oscar." Nuša is also the first Slovenian helicopter pilot, and her passion for innovation and technology fuels her clear vision for a sustainable industrial future.

3rd IPPT_TWINN CONFERENCE AGENDA

First day - 4th June 2025

8:30 - 9:00 Registration
9:00 - 9:15 Opening speech
Blaž Nardin - project leader and Dean of Faculty of Polymer Technology
Plenary speakers
9:15 - 9:40 The Versatility of Composites
Gion Andrea Barandun | OST University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland, Switzerland
9:40 - 10:05 Understanding the difference between “exercises in style” and true "composite recycling”: An overview of the many ways to re-process composite materials
Niccolo Pini | Doroangus Consulting, Switzerland
Session 1: Energy and building sector
10:05 - 10:20 Composites in renewable energy - engineering challenges
Gergely Lipóczi | eCon Engineering Kft., Hungary
10:20 - 10:35 Unsaturated polyester resins (USP) for transport, marine and wind applications
Jasmina Turnšek | Helios Resins, Slovenia
10:35 - 10:50 TBC
Gregor Vedenik | Veplas d.d., Slovenia
10:50 - 11:05 TBC
Milan Stanarević | Exel Composites GmbH, Austria
11:05 - 11:20 Networking coffee
Session 2: Automotive
11:20 - 11:35 From Race to Road, natural fiber composites in a serial car application
Marcel Schubiger | Bcomp, Switzerland
11:35 - 11:50 Caprocast a technology for the manufacturing of lightweight thermoplastic structural components
Cristina Elizetxea Ezeiza | Tecnalia, Spain
11:50 - 12:05 The Challenges of Materials Engineering in EV Battery Packs
Primož Štefane | Rimac Technology d.o.o., Croatia
12:05 - 12:20 Innovative approaches in plastic-metal stir welding: Applications and potential in lightweight construction
Andreas Hausberger | royos joining solutions GmbH, Austria
12:20 - 12:35 Development and manufacturing lightweight thermoplastic composite products in low&mid series sectors
Boštjan Žagar | Polymer.si Group, Slovenia
12:35 - 12:50 Long Fiber Thermoplastic Direct-molding (LFT-D) - a cost-efficient process for large thermoplastic
Karl Schnetzinger | Advanced polymer compounds, Austria
12:50 - 13:05 From Metal to Polymer: Industrial Demonstrators with Lightweight Composites for Automotive Applications
Rui Soares | CENTIMFE, Portugal
13:05 - 13:20 Fibre-Reinforced Parts made from HybridFiber
Carsten Kleine | SILTEX Flecht- und Isoliertechnologie GmbH &Co KG, Germany
13:20 - 14:00 Lunch
Session 3: Aerospace
14:00 - 14:15 Design of microsatellites and selection of reliable material combinations
Tomaž Rodič | SPACE-SI, Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies, Slovenia
14:15 - 14:30 Importance of light weight composite materials in designing airplanes
Iztok Šalamon | GOGETAIR, Slovenia
14:30 - 14:45 From haute couture to high tech composite parts
Jascha Schmied | Bionic Composite Technologies AG, Switzerland
14:45 - 15:00 Networking coffee
Session 4: Sport equipment
15:00 - 15:15 Development and Production of UD-Tape enforced Thermoplastic Components in Injection Molding Processing
Martin Rudolph | svismold, Switzerland
15:15 - 15:30 Development and manufacturing of composite sailing boats at Flaar Performance Sailing
Gergő Zsolt MARTON | PhD Student, Budapest University of Technology, Hungary
15:30 - 15:45 Performance vs sustainability in emotional lightweight composite parts like sporting goods
Herfried Lammer | HEAD, Austria
Panel discussion - Opportunities and challenges of the European polymer composites industry
15:55 - 16:55 TBC
16:55 - 17:00 Closing remarks of the 1st day
17:00 - 17:15 Networking coffee
17:15 - 19:00 B2B Meetings and/or FTPO Lab tour
17:15 - 19:00 Open training on research funding opportunities
AITIIP, Spain
20:00 - 22:00 Networking dinner at »Hiša Ančka«
(Conference dinner is optional and at participants’ own expense)

Second day - 5th June 2025

8:30 - 9:00 Registration
9:00 - 9:00 Recal Day 1
Blaž Nardin - Project leader and Dean of FTPO
9:00 - 9:25 PLENARY LECTURE
A comprehensive and innovative strategy to design and monitor composite structures under in-service loadings
Marino Quaresimin, University of Padova
9:25 - 9:50 PLENARY LECTURE
Dissolution based recycling of plastic composites - Experience from European Research Projects
Martin Schlummer, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
SESSION 1: MATERIALS
9:50 - 10:05 INVITED LECTURE
Properties of carbon fiber-reinforced lightweight polyamide composites produced by in situ polymerization
András Suplicz, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics/MTA-BME Lendület Lightweight Polymer Composites Research Group
10:05 - 10:20 INVITED LECTURE
Patient specific PEEK cranial implants produced via material extrusion-based additive manufacturing - A clinical perspective
Florian Arbeiter, Materials Science and Testing of Polymers, Montanuniversität Leoben
10:20 - 10:25 Investigating electrically conductive polymer composites
Bela Zink, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
10.25 - 10.30 Phenol/5-HMF resin and its composites with paper
Miroslav Huskić, TECOS/Pomurje Science and Innovation Centre
10.30 - 10.35 Sustainable polymers in additive manufacturing
Raquel Navarro, AITIIP Centro Technologico
10.35 - 10.40 Optimisation of Polymer-Based Bipolar Plates Using Numerical Calculation
Szabolcs Hajagos, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
10.40 - 10.45 Possibilities and damage mapping of intelligent composites
Fanni Balogh, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
10:45 - 11:15 Coffee break
SESSION 2: NEW TECHNOLOGIES/PROCESSES
11.15 - 11.30 INVITED LECTURE
Novel matrix materials for high pressure hydrogen storage composite vessels
Markus Wolfahrt, Polymer Competence Center Leoben
11.30 - 11.45 INVITED LECTURE
UV Curing - The solution for industrial scale production of composite parts
Sathis Kumar Selvarayana, Allnex
11.45 - 11.50 Comparison of multi-axis edge trimming technology for machining carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with industrially applied mechanical edge trimming methods in terms of burr formation and surface roughness
Tamás Sándor Tima, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
11.50 - 11.55 Experimental Analysis of TFP as a Cost-Effective Method for Manufacturing Composite Autoparts
Artur A. Pollet, ISI Engenharia de Polímeros
11.55 - 12.00 Development of a Coating Process for Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites Manufactured with T-RTM Technology
Péter Széplaki, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
12.00 - 12.05 Overmoulding Strength of PP and ABS Systems: Influence of Tool and Melt Temperatures
Rebeka Lorber, Faculty of Polymer Technology
12.05 - 12.10 Drilling of carbon fibre-reinforced vitrimer composites
Dániel István Poór, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics/MTA-BME Lendület Lightweight Polymer Composites Research Group
12:10 - 13:00 Lunch break
SESSION 3: CIRCULABILITY SOLUTIONS
13:00 - 13:15 INVITED LECTURE
Challenges & Opportunities for the End-of-Life Recycling of Wintersport Hardgoods
Zahra Shahroodi, Institute of Polymer Processing, Montanuniversität Leoben
13:15 - 13:30 INVITED LECTURE
Sustainability issues and recycling in carbon fiber composites, state of the art
Peter Santha, Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
13:30 - 13:45 INVITED LECTURE
LIT factory - pilot factory for thermoplastic circular composite production value chain
Klaus Straka, Johannes Kepler University Linz, LIT factory
13:45 - 14:00 INVITED LECTURE
Closing the Loop in Rotational Molding: Integrating PIR, PCR into Sustainable Production
Nuša Pavlinjek, Roto Group
14:00 - 14:05 Industrial thermoplastic waste as reinforcement and matrix
Marko Verčkovnik, Faculty of Polymer Technology
14:05 - 14:10 Waste thermoset composite as reinforcement for recycled polypropylene
Sebastjan Zaverla, Faculty of Polymer Technology
14:10 - 14:30 Coffee break
SESSION 4: TESTING AND PREDICTION METHODOLOGIES
14:30 - 14:45 INVITED LECTURE
Failure mechanisms in polymer composite laminates - testing, quantification, and modeling
Clara Schuecker, Polymer Engineering and Science Department, Montanuniversität Leoben
14.45 - 14.50 Durability Performance of Additive Manufactured Gears: An Evaluation Study
Matija Hriberšek, Faculty of Polymer Technology
14.50 - 14.55 Development of volumetric image processing methods to segment reinforcing carbon fibre clusters in chopped carbon fibre reinforced polymer (cCFRP) composite
Gergely Magyara, Department of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
14.55 - 15.00 Inteligent composites/SMH
Urs Zimmermann, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
15.00 - 15.15 Closing remarks, Blaž Nardin - Project leader and Dean of FTPO

Organisation

The editors

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Blaž Nardin

FTPO, Slovenia

Assist. Janez Slapnik

FTPO, Slovenia

Scientific committee

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Blaž Nardin

FTPO, Slovenia

Assist. Janez Slapnik

FTPO, Slovenia

Dr. Béla Zink

BME, Hungary

Dr. András Suplicz

BME, Hungary

DI Dr. Markus Wolfahrt

PCCL, Austria

Dr. Mauricio Azevedo

PCCL, Austria

Prof. Dr. Ing. Frank Ehrig

IWK, Switzerland

Prof. Dr. Gion Andrea Barandun

IWK, Switzerland

Dr. Julio Vidal

AITIIP, Spain

Dr. Jose Antonio Dieste

AITIIP, Spain

Organizining commitee

Maja Mešl

FTPO, Slovenia

Viktorija Zanoškar

FTPO, Slovenia

Sara Jeseničnik

FTPO, Slovenia

Zala Lorber

FTPO, Slovenia

Dr. Mauricio Azevedo

PCCL, Austria

Venue

Conference will be held at the Faculty of Polymer Technology in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia.

How to get there?

By car:
The easiest way is by car. Slovenj Gradec is located in a beautiful valley in north-east of Slovenia, 120 km from the capital city, Ljubljana. At the highway, Ljubljana-Maribor, take the exit ŽALEC and continue in a direction Velenje, Slovenj Gradec. Drive carefully, also because there is a stationary radar in the centre of Velenje, and police are measuring speed regularly in several places (Paka pri Velenju, Šmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu,…).

By plane:
The transport from the Ljubljana airport (Airport Jože Pučnik) can be booked by GoOpti. The other airports in the vicinity are Zagreb (Croatia) and Graz (Austria) but it might be a bit inconvenient to come to Slovenj Gradec. However, GoOpti is offering transport from those airports as well. If several of you come at approximately the same time we might help to organise transport.

By train
The nearest train station is Velenje. If you get there we will organise the transport to Slovenj Gradec, just let us know in advance.

Rent-a-car

Accommodation
You can book an accommodation at:

Meals:
Coffee breaks
A morning, and afternoon coffee breaks will be served in the conference site.