1 October 2025

For two days, Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences was a meeting place for experts from science, business, politics and society. The Resource Forum 2025 was all about innovation, resource efficiency and the circular economy. It became clear that all stakeholders, from the Harz recycling region to European initiatives in Brussels, are working together to drive forward the transformation to a sustainable and circular economy.

The Resource Forum 2025 at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences brought together experts from science, business, politics and society to discuss ways to achieve a sustainable circular economy and resource efficiency. (Photos: Jantje Samtleben)

Day 1: From regional initiatives to the European level

At the start of the forum, the keynote speeches impressively demonstrated the extent to which regional, national and European strategies are interlinked:

• Dr Goldmann (Clausthal University of Technology) opened with a look at the Harz recycling region. He showed how it has grown into a model region for the circular economy - supported by cooperation between science, business and local authorities.
• Dr Wudtke (Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences) took the audience on a journey through time: from the founding of the university in 1998 to the first steps in recycling research and the creation of the ResIn Resources Institute, which today forms the basis for the expertise in Nordhausen.
• Bär (LEG Thuringia) made it clear that recycling and resource efficiency are firmly anchored as a strategic field of action in Thuringia's innovation strategy - and are therefore a clear location factor for the Free State.
• Dominic Kranholdt, representative of the Free State of Thuringia at the EU, drew the bow to Brussels: he explained current EU initiatives in the areas of recycling management, waste prevention and resource conservation and pointed out the opportunities they offer for Thuringia and the Harz recycling region.

 "The keynote speeches impressively demonstrated that we are on a common path from the Harz Mountains to Brussels: Research, business, politics and the EU are pulling together to not only discuss the circular economy in theory, but to implement it in practice," summarised the university.

These contributions were just a selection of the many presentations and discussions that took place on both days.

Day 2: Digitalisation, biowaste management and plastics recycling

After a successful networking evening in the traditional Nordhausen distillery, the second day of the conference started with a clear focus on digitalisation in waste management.

• Daniel Volkhardt (Q-Soft GmbH) gave a keynote speech on the new NIS2 directive and used specific examples to illustrate the serious impact of cyberattacks on companies. His message was clear: "Prevention is the key - prevention is better than cure."
• André Gebauer-Ponndorf (Carbo-FORCE GmbH) set an inspiring tone with his contribution on pyrolysis in the biowaste industry. He described the process as a "coloured pencil with which we can paint the world anew" and thus opened up new perspectives on the variety of possible input materials.
• Microplastics and their environmental distribution took centre stage in the area of plastics recycling. Specialist presentations and discussions made it clear how great the need for action in the development of prevention strategies is in order to effectively reduce the entry of microplastics into the environment.

The Resource Forum 2025 offered two days full of valuable impulses, lively technical discussions and practical insights. It confirmed that the transformation towards a circular, secure and digital waste and resource management is being consistently driven forward. The next Resource Forum will take place on 1 and 2 October 2026.