A sustainable circular economy requires technological expertise and a skilled new generation. That is why the ITQ GmbH and the Gerda Stetter Foundation: „Technology is fun!“ from 7 to 13 May 2026 at the interpack in Düsseldorf in the VDMA Technology Lounge in Hall 4, Stand C54, and how they systematically link the two areas. The focus here is on the project CirQmind – A Circular Economy through a Circular Society, which inspires young people to embrace sustainability through a circular economy in practice and future technologies such as artificial intelligence.
A hands-on approach to the circular economy: experience CirQmind first-hand
CirQmind goes far beyond traditional recycling. This is because the initiative is based on four key pillars Recycle, Rebuild, Reuse and Reskill towards a holistic approach to education. At the exhibition stand, ITQ and the foundation are bringing this approach to life. Visitors can experience the entire cycle first-hand, from waste sorting and shredding through to the manufacture of new products via injection moulding. Collected plastic lids are transformed into personalised items such as carabiners and torches right before the eyes of exhibition visitors.
Visitors to the trade fair are also trying out a AI Candy Machine. Visitors to the trade fair get to experience artificial intelligence first-hand. They use a chatbot to select their preferred snack. A trained image-recognition AI identifies and classifies the objects in real time, before a robotic arm precisely picks them up and serves them. An interdisciplinary team of students developed the entire demonstrator. It is an example of how AI expertise can already be integrated into education in a practical way. The underlying principles range from specially trained datasets and neural networks to automated sorting. These technologies can be applied to industrial applications, such as intelligent quality control and sustainable recycling processes in the packaging industry.
A wide-ranging STEM programme at the exhibition stand
In addition, ITQ GmbH is presenting an extensive programme of workshops and activities that will captivate visitors throughout the exhibition week: visitors will gain practical insights into automation, electronics and sustainable production. Participants will build and programme in LEGO Mindstorms Workshops autonomous robots. At the same time, they learn the basics of sensor technology and programming. In the EU-funded project EduDemoS Sustainable solar and wind energy demonstrators made from recycled materials and featuring IoT connectivity are being developed. In Minecraft Education In these workshops, children and young people design digital cities of the future and apply programming concepts such as variables, conditions and loops. In addition, Arduino and microcontroller workshops provide a practical introduction to electronics and embedded systems.
ITQ organises the exhibition week around themed days. Among other things, there will be a themed day on artificial intelligence and a large-scale exchange event in cooperation with the initiative RecycleBar the Start-up Barn on Saturday, as well as the Young Talents Day, which invites schools and vocational colleges from the region to experience future technologies at first hand.
Background: From PlastiX to CirQmind
The CirQmind project builds on the success of the student project PlastiX builds on and expands this approach to include a social dimension: a functioning circular economy requires a committed circular society. Through workshops, MAKEATHONS and educational projects, school pupils, university students and budding engineers are encouraged to develop their own solutions for smart waste collection, material processing and reuse. The EU-funded EduDemoS project integrates the circular economy concept directly into the school curriculum: learning objects and demonstrators are produced using 3D printing with recycled plastic filaments.
CirQmind’s roadmap includes international presentations at the industry’s leading trade fairs. Following drinktec 2025, the next event will be interpack 2026, followed by automatica 2027 next year.
