Internationally acknowledged experts will explore different aspects of this theme – which is also a special focus throughout this year’s trade fair – in a half-day conference taking place at 14:00 on 20 March in the Conference Center East at the Köln Messe Exhibition Center. Speakers at the free-to-attend event will include Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, who says that products and production processes should be developed that eliminate waste completely, and they must be completely safe for both people and the environment.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Sauer will then ask how far-reaching and widespread the effect of digitalization could be in terms of the resource efficiency of companies? Which potentials can be exploited? And which approaches exist for digitalization?

The science of smart packaging is tackled by Prof. Pierre Pienaar who will suggest that as consumer’s need for information continues to grow, packaging in the future will have to communicate much more by using integrated chemical or electronic technologies.

Finally, Prof. Dr. Ruud Huirne will outline four global challenges of rising world population: increasing the availability of food; improving access to food; promoting balanced and healthy nutrition; and increasing economic stability. www.dlg.org