Main Stage
Donnerstag, 12. März 2026
Das Programm der Main Stage
Die Main Stage ist ein Highlight der Circular Valley Convention – ein Ort, an dem führende Köpfe aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft ihre Visionen und bahnbrechenden Projekte präsentieren. Hier erfahren Sie aus erster Hand, wie die Zukunft der Circular Economy gestaltet wird. Mit inspirierenden Keynotes und richtungsweisenden Impulsen bieten renommierte Experten wertvolle Einblicke in innovative Strategien, transformative Technologien und globale Trends. Lassen Sie sich von den Perspektiven der Top-Speaker begeistern und erleben Sie, wie Ideen Gestalt annehmen, die unsere Welt nachhaltig verändern werden.
Mittwoch, der 11. März 2026
10:00 - 10:30 Uhr
Opening & Welcome
10:00 - 10:15 Uhr
Opening
Format: Opening
Session: Opening & Welcome
Language: English
Speakers
Wolfram N. Diener
Chairman of the Management Board
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Dr. Carsten Gerhardt
Chairman
Circular Valley Foundation
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner
Head of Institute
Fraunhofer UMSICHT / CCPE
10:15 - 10:30 Uhr
Greeting from the Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of NRW
Format: Opening
Session: Opening & Welcome
Language: English
Speaker
Mona Neubaur
Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy
NRW
10:15 - 10:25 a.m.
Greeting
Duration: 00:10 h
Format: Opening
Session: Opening & Welcome
Language: English
Speaker
TBA
Position
Company
10:25 - 10:40 a.m.
From concepts to practice: How to start the industrial "R"-Evolution - BDI Circular Economy
Format: Fireside Chat
Session: Opening & Welcome
Language: English
Speaker
Dr. Claas Oehlmann
CEO
BDI-Initiative Circular Economy Federation of German Industries e. V.
Lecture information
The transition to a circular economic model requires a holistic and ambitious perspective that creates a secure framework for closing loops and new Business opportunities. The fact that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, continued to classify the circular economy as of straegic importance to industrial policy in her political guidelines for the years 2024 to 2029 is therefore correct. However, for the circular economy to become a real success factor for Europe, the circular "R"-Evulation has to be driven by companies and innovation networks embedded within an excelent scientifc environment.
10:40 - 10:45 a.m.
Greeting and video message from the Federal Minister for the Environment
Format: Opening
Session: Opening & Welcome
Language: English
Speaker
Steffi Lemke
Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection BMUV
Federal Government
10:30 - 12:30 Uhr
Keynotes & Panels – Uniting Industries
10:30 - 10:45 Uhr
Impulse: Uniting Industries
Format: Keynote
Session: Keynotes – Uniting Industries
Language: English
Speaker
Mark Dorn
Executive Vice President
Henkel
10:45 - 11:15 Uhr
Cross-Border Cooperation
Format: Panel Discussion
Session: Keynotes – Uniting Industries
Language: English
Speaker
Susanne Hagenkort-Rieger
Head of Economic Policy Department Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy
NRW
Lecture information
BASF's ambition is clear: to be the preferred chemical company enabling our customers' green transformation. We are committed to advancing a Circular Economy by increasing our use of recycled and renewable feedstocks, shaping new material cycles, and creating innovative business models. This presentation will illustrate how we contribute to closing and extending these loops by developing and implementing circular solutions for sourced materials. Additionally, we will discuss our efforts to optimize operations and provide resource-efficient products and services that support our customers on their circularity journeys.
11:15 - 11:30 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Keynotes – Uniting Industries
Language: English
Speaker
Ina Scharrenbach
Minister for Home, Municipal Affairs, Construction and Digitalization State of North Rhine-Westphalia
11:30 - 12:15 Uhr
Uniting Industries
Format: Panel Discussion
Session: Keynotes – Uniting Industries
Language: English
Speakers
Talke Schaffrannek
Director Circular Economy
BASF SE
Ulla Hüppe
Corporate Vice President Adhesive Technologies
Henkel
Dr. Timo Fleßner
Head of Global API Production
Bayer AG
12:15 - 12:30 Uhr
Q&A Audience Interaction
Format: Q&A
Session: Keynotes – Uniting Industries
Language: English
12:30 - 12:45 p.m.
TBA
Duration: 00:15 h
Format: Speech
Language: Keynotes – Enabling Circular Economy
Language: English
Speaker
TBA
Position
Company
Lecture information
TBA
12:30 - 13:30 Uhr
Networking Lunch
13:30 - 15:30 Uhr
Session 1 – Innovation & Science
13:30 - 13:45 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Innovation & Science
Language: English
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart
Co-Founder
Cradle 2 Cradle
13:45 - 14:00 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Innovation & Science
Language: English
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Christoph Schmidt
President RWI
Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
14:00 - 15:30 Uhr
Demoday Circular Economy Accelerator - Batch #10
Format: Startup Pitches
Session: Innovation & Science
Language: English
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Channing Robertson
Emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering
Stanford University
15:30 - 17:15 Uhr
Session 2 - Smart Economy: Refuse, Rethink, Redesign
15:30 - 15:45 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Smart Economy
Language: English
Speaker
Thomas Jarzombek
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister
Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs
15:45 - 16:00 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Smart Economy
Language: English
Speaker
Matthias Lesch
CEO
Pöppelmann
16:30 - 16:45 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Smart Economy
Language: English
Speaker
Dr. Britta Bookhagen
Head of the ‘Recycled Raw Materials’ department
German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA)
16:45 - 17:00 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Smart Economy
Language: English
Speaker
Roland Mauss
CFO
Oryx Stainless AG
17:00 - 17:15 Uhr
Keynote
Format: Keynote
Session: Smart Economy
Language: English
Speaker
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner
Head of Institute
Fraunhofer UMSICHT / CCPE
17:15 - 17:45 Uhr
Session 3 - Design for Circularity
17:15 - 17:45 Uhr
Panel Discussion
Format: Panel Discussion
Session: Design for Circularity
Language: English
Speaker
Bernd Müller
Director International Relations & Sustainability
German Design Council
18:00 - 21:40 Uhr
Evening Event "Circular Night"
18:00 - 18:10 Uhr
Opening
Format: Speech
Session: Evening event „Circular Night“
Language: English
Speaker
Dr. Carsten Gerhardt
Chairman
Circular Valley Foundation
18:10 - 18:40 Uhr
Architecture and Circularity
Format: Keynote
Session: Evening event „Circular Night“
Language: English
Speaker
Christoph Ingenhoven
Founder
christoph ingenhoven architects
18:40 - 21:40 Uhr
"Circular Night" music & drinks
