From Plant to Polymer – First Cross-border ABC Conference in Maastricht, Netherlands
On April 29 2016, the first ABC Applied Bio-based Materials Conference 2016 of Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Bio-based Materials (AMIBM) in Maastricht, Netherlands, took place
The AMIBM located at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, Netherlands, is the worldwide unique transnational research institute that bundles the industrial and scientific strengths along the value chain from plant to polymer. It summarises the forces of Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany, of Maastricht University, Maastricht/Netherlands, of Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen/Germany, and of Helmhholtz Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), Aachen/Germany.
The conference’s target was to discuss the actual research results and future prospects in applying bio-based materials together with keynote speakers of industry and research. In future, premium products should be developed out of bio-based materials which help to improve the economic situation of EUREGIO e.g. new applications in medicine and automotive engineering. Bio4Self is a common project of ITA and the Maastricht University. This approach is aimed to substitute products based on fossil oil with bio-based manufactures.
ITA, the Institut für Textiltechnik (Institute for textile technology) under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Gries belongs to the excellence university RWTH Aachen. Its core expertise consists of textile related production technologies and high performance materials.
Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Jockenhövel leads the field of life science and medical textiles at ITA. He is one of the three “Drehkreuzprofessoren” of Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM). Prof. Gunnar Seide works as Associate Professor at AMIBM.