Assoc.Prof. MSc. Eng. Lucia Knapcikova, Ph.D.

Title: Moving Plastics and Machine Industry Towards Circularity (INTERREG Danube Programme) – the
Smart Approaches

Bio:

Lucia Knapčíková is Vice-Dean for International Relations and Mobility at the Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies (FMT) of the Technical University of Košice. In 2017, she completed her Habilitation for Associate Professor at the FMT in Manufacturing Technologies. In 2011, she completed her PhD study at the Faculty mentioned above. Assoc. Prof. Knapčíková, Ph.D., is the author of more than 260 scientific papers in Slovakia and abroad, and she is the owner of 6 utility models. She participated in several international research projects, like Horizon 2020, Interreg, Eurostars, and Eureka. Her area of interest includes SMART technologies, SMART materials, and application possibilities directly in the industry. Since 2015, she has been actively cooperating with the European Alliance for Innovation as a general chair of EAI MMS and EAI Fabulous conferences.

Abstract:

Plastics are a ubiquitous material these days, but they are far from being recirculated enough after the first use. The objective of the EU circular economy package, i.e. j., a quota for recycling plastic packaging of 50% by 2025, remains a challenge for Western Europe and even more so for the South/East Danube region, which shows serious deficiencies in waste management systems and a lack of industrial processing knowledge for the recirculation of secondary plastic materials. We aim to support the transformation of the circular economy of plastics towards circularity through transnational cooperation between processors/manufacturers of plastics and the machine industry.