The Institute for Circular Economy of Bio:Polymer (ibp) at Hof University of Applied Sciences was represented by Benedikt Hiller and David Krieg at the 40th International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS-40) in Auckland. The two research assistants traveled a total of 38 hours to the other side of the world to New Zealand to present and discuss their research work on sustainable plastics. In addition to attending the conference, the two scientists and doctoral students also used the trip to experience the country and its culture.
David and Benedikt, what was the reason for your long journey?
“The reason for our trip was to attend the International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS). It is one of the most important scientific conferences in the field of plastics and their processing. We have already taken part in PPS-38 in St. Gallen (Switzerland) and PPS-39 in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) in recent years. This year’s PPS-40 took place from April 22 to 25 in Auckland (New Zealand).
The scientific exchange at these events with experts from all over the world and the expansion of our international networks is of immense value for our research work here in Hof. The importance of the conference for the polymer science community was demonstrated again this year with around 360 participants from 34 different nations and a total of 325 scientific contributions. We are very pleased and grateful that we were also able to fly the flag for ibp and Hof University of Applied Sciences in New Zealand.”
What exactly did your participation in the conference look like?
“We took part with two presentations and a poster to present our research work as part of the “EISBiR” junior research group funded by the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR). Specifically, the contributions dealt with the stabilization of bioplastics using biogenic residues such as wine pomace and the sustainable modification of biopolyesters using electron irradiation. Fortunately, we were able to arouse great interest among the specialist audience with our results and hope that this will lead to international research collaborations in the near future.”
Your trip to New Zealand was a long one. Were you able to use your stay to get to know the country and the culture?
“We actually arrived a little earlier. We used the days before the conference to explore the North Island of New Zealand. We rented a camper van for this purpose, which was both our accommodation and our means of transportation. Fortunately, we get on very well as work colleagues, so we were always able to take the minimalist living together in a confined space and sleeping in campsites in the pouring rain with a sense of humor.”
What did your days before the conference look like and what were your highlights?
“In particular, we explored the natural diversity of New Zealand. On the one hand, we hiked through the forests around Lake Taupo, visited the geothermal parks and used hot springs and remote beaches for swimming. In addition to these experiences, a visit to a Maori village was also a highlight of our trip. Finally, we explored the volcanic islands off Auckland, where we were able to enjoy New Zealand wine, whiskey and beer as well as beautiful hikes. All in all, we were able to gain very diverse impressions of New Zealand.”
How would you sum up the trip?
“We are very grateful that we were able to go on this trip as part of our work as research assistants and doctoral students at ibp. We were able to experience a lot and also made important contacts for the future. New Zealand really is a very exciting country and the PPS conference is worth the trip every year. It is clear to us that we want to continue contributing to the international scientific community with our research in the future. Next year, the PPS-41 will take place in Salerno (Italy) – hopefully we will be there again.”
