SPE Jury Meeting 2026
at IKK – Institute for Plastics and Circular Engineering, Leibniz University Hannover
On July 1 and 2, 2026, the Jury Meeting for the SPE AutomotiveAward took place at IKK in Garbsen. Around 30 participants gathered to discuss key topics for the further development of the Award and to collect input for the upcoming Award cycle. The event began with a get-together followed by a joint dinner at the “Landhaus am See” hotel.
On Thursday, the technical program at IKK began with a welcome and insights into current projects at the institute. The focus included plastics technology, circular economy, and current research approaches relevant to the automotive industry. During the subsequent tour of IKK, participants gained further impressions of the research and development work on site.
An important focus was the discussion on sustainability assessment within the framework of the SPE AutomotiveAward. It was confirmed that sustainability aspects remain voluntary supplementary information and not mandatory disclosures. In the future, however, this information should be requested in a clearer, more structured, and more transparent manner—particularly where applicants claim sustainability aspects.
In the subsequent metaplan sessions, the jury team collected numerous suggestions for the further development of the Award. Topics discussed included the evaluation methodology, the comparability of submissions, the structure of categories, and organizational aspects related to jury work and the Award Night. The results are now being evaluated and will be incorporated into the further planning of the SPE AutomotiveAward.
SPE Central Europe would like to extend its sincere thanks to all participants as well as to Prof. Endres and the IKK team for their hospitality, technical insights, and support in conducting the meeting.
