This year marked the successful premiere of the hybrid event. Not only the invited guests in the Georg-Friedrich Händel hall in Halle (Saale), but also spectators from all over the world were able to follow the conference via livestream.

Through more than a dozen lectures, approximately 550 registered participants (including about 50 invited guests) gained insights into various topics, including the bioplastics market in Vietnam, which served as the focal point of this year's congress as the partner country. Additionally, experts from several countries provided information on their approaches to raw material extraction for bioplastics, new methods of production and processing of future materials, as well as practical application examples.

The Biopolymer Innovation Awards, now in their fourth year, were presented in 2023, with all three trophies being awarded to German applicants. In previous years, innovations from Finland, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, and others received recognition.

The “Thüringische Institut für Textil- und Kunststoff-Forschung Rudolstadt (TITK) e.V.” received the main prize of 2,000 euros for the development of the completely bio-based and biodegradable hotmelt adhesive called “Caremelt”. When “Caremelt” enters the environment, it undergoes natural degradation processes and becomes part of natural cycles through the actions of microorganisms. Furthermore, as a completely bio-based adhesive, it is CO2-neutral. The adhesive's properties and application profile can be compared to those of established hot-melt adhesives, although it has a slightly lower thermal load capacity. The patent-pending composition of polylactic acid (PLA), polysuccinic acid (PBS), terpene and rosin resins, natural waxes and citric acid derivatives is not only suitable for short-life products such as shopping bags, nappies or cardboard boxes. Thanks to the new development from Thuringia, adhesive bonds in shoes, textiles, wood, metal, or furniture parts, as well as books, can also be biodegradable in the future.

The 2nd prize was awarded to “Green Elephant GmbH” from Gießen, the 3rd prize went to “SoBiCo GmbH” from Bad Sobernheim (Rhineland-Palatinate).