Recently, Evonik and Schneider Electric announced a strategic partnership at the K Fair, focusing on the automation transformation of Evonik's thermoplastic processing plant at the Goldschmidt site in Essen, Germany. The collaboration aims to address efficiency and quality challenges in the plastic recycling industry. This partnership represents a perfect combination of "chemical expertise + digital capabilities." Evonik has deep expertise in high-performance additives and extensive experience in circular materials development, while Schneider Electric is a global leader in process automation and digital solutions. Both parties have clarified that their cooperation will cover the entire chain from plastic recycling to processing, driving industry transformation through technology integration.

"Digitalization is key to advancing circularity," emphasized Jessica Bethune, Vice President of Industrial Automation DACH region at Schneider Electric. The collaboration will achieve centralized data collection and contextual analysis through open automation architecture, significantly reducing manual operations and optimizing production processes. Patrick Glöckner, Head of New Market Initiatives at Evonik, further pointed out that this "digitalization + chemistry" combination model will elevate thermoplastic processing to a new level, providing implementable solutions for plastic circularity.

According to the plan, the first phase of the project will complete the digital transformation of the pilot plant, with long-term focus on three major objectives: optimizing solution positioning through quantified data, shortening the time-to-market for new additives, and enhancing the scalability from pilot to commercial applications, establishing a circular economy practice model for the industry.

Beyond technical cooperation, Evonik's series of polymer innovations released at the K Fair also demonstrate its "sustainable + high-performance" development path. This release centers around three major themes: circular economy, high-tech manufacturing, and low-carbon production, covering multiple core areas including automotive, sports, and 3D printing.

Using mass balance as the core technology, Evonik launched new VESTAMID® and INFINAM® polyamide 12 material series, capable of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 70%. Among these, INFINAM® eCO PA12 powder is made from waste cooking oil, reducing carbon emissions by 74% compared to traditional materials, making it a low-carbon pioneer in the 3D printing field.

Evonik also publicly disclosed full life cycle assessment data for VESTAMID® and TROGAMID® products for the first time, achieving full-chain sustainable transparency from production to application.

In the automotive sector, Evonik's VESTAMID® materials continue to breakthrough: as the most widely used polyamide 12 material in global traditional automotive pipeline systems, it has successfully entered electric vehicle battery and charging systems through customer-oriented R&D, becoming the preferred material for key components such as power busbars.

In the sports consumer goods sector, VESTAMID® E elastomer has become an ideal material for high-end sports shoe midsoles due to its low density and high impact resistance advantages. The melt-blown nonwoven fabric made from it exhibits excellent performance in textiles and filtration with its cloud-like texture.

The INFINAM® PA12 series, specifically designed for selective laser sintering (SLS), leads the upgrade of polymer 3D printing technology with excellent flowability.

To explore the latest applications of specialty engineering plastics and build a communication platform for upstream and downstream industry chains, the "Plastic Smart Manufacturing 2025 - Second Specialty Engineering Plastics Forum" will be held in Guangzhou on December 12, 2025. The conference brings together experts from research institutions, industry leaders, and downstream application managers, building a "industry-research-academia-application" platform through special reports and technical matchmaking to help the industry break through bottlenecks and provide material support for high-end manufacturing.