Trade Talk Today K - Day 8

00:00:03: Welcome to

00:00:04: Trade Talk Today,

00:00:05: your daily inside.

00:00:08: The

00:00:08: show is brought to you by

00:00:10: The Microband.

00:00:21: Welcome to Trade Talk Today.

00:00:24: Indeed,

00:00:25: it is

00:00:26: the last day of the K. It is day number eight.

00:00:30: And the K is the place to be.

00:00:33: It is the number one trade fair when it comes to plastics and rubber.

00:00:38: And at Trade Talk today, we always talk to the pioneers, to the people on the forefront, the movers and shakers.

00:00:44: And I'm really glad to have Stefan Brandt with me.

00:00:48: He is the manager of business development in Europe of Microban.

00:00:52: And we'll be talking a little bit later to our CEO, Marius Bergman, about his insights and reflections of the K. So let's get the show on the road.

00:01:05: So my first guest, Stefan, Stefan Brandt.

00:01:07: Thank you so much for being here of Microban.

00:01:10: We're going to start the interview with some rapid-fire questions just for us to get to know you a little bit better.

00:01:16: Okay.

00:01:18: Ten questions.

00:01:19: You just choose which option suits you the best.

00:01:22: Okay,

00:01:22: you ready?

00:01:23: Good day everybody.

00:01:24: Yeah, I'm ready to go.

00:01:25: Let's do this.

00:01:26: Are you a morning person or a night owl?

00:01:29: Night owl.

00:01:30: Night.

00:01:31: Taking risks or playing it safe?

00:01:34: Risks.

00:01:36: Breakthrough technology or time-tested solutions?

00:01:39: Breakthrough technologies.

00:01:42: Beach vacation or mountain retreat?

00:01:46: If I have to make a choice, mountain retreat.

00:01:48: Mountain retreat.

00:01:50: Prevention or treatment approach?

00:01:54: What do you prefer?

00:01:55: Prevention.

00:01:56: Prevention.

00:01:57: Books or podcasts?

00:01:59: Books.

00:02:00: Books.

00:02:01: Team sports or individual activities?

00:02:04: Individual activities.

00:02:06: Home cooking or dining out?

00:02:09: Home cooking.

00:02:11: If you had a superpower, would you prefer invisibility or time travel?

00:02:18: Time travel.

00:02:20: Sustainability focus.

00:02:22: Is it about energy efficient operations or circular material cycles?

00:02:29: Energy.

00:02:31: Give us your thinking behind that.

00:02:33: Why energy?

00:02:34: Yeah, you need to have energy to make the change happen towards sustainability.

00:02:40: It's a matter of mentality.

00:02:43: Very good.

00:02:44: Let us go into the more serious part of our interview, Stefan.

00:02:51: our guests to bring a sample, something that represents the DNA of their company.

00:02:57: You've brought us a small sample that we can see here.

00:03:02: Tell us what does this have to do with the DNA of Microbanner?

00:03:06: What are we looking at?

00:03:07: Yeah, actually, what you are seeing here is our Blacklight unit display, which visually demonstrates the difference between treated and untreated surfaces.

00:03:19: under the black light, which I have here, you can see how microbes accumulate untreated surfaces.

00:03:28: Yeah, a lot of them.

00:03:29: I mean, it would be even more.

00:03:31: And while here on this piece, you can see microband treated surfaces prevent microbial growth continuously.

00:03:40: And that actually ties into the DNA of microband.

00:03:45: Our technology is designed to protect products at the surface level, keeping them cleaner, more durable and longer lasting.

00:03:54: And it's not just about product cleanliness that would be too easy.

00:03:59: It's about delivering peace of mind for consumers and supporting sustainability.

00:04:07: reducing product degradation and finding the waste.

00:04:11: And speaking about microbes, what antimicrobial innovations is Microband showcasing at the K this year?

00:04:19: Yeah, at the K, twenty twenty five, Microband is showcasing really a variety of new antimicrobial innovations.

00:04:28: Many of them based on heavy metal free formulations.

00:04:32: These technologies are engineered to protect plastics, actively reducing microbial growth throughout their complete life cycle.

00:04:42: And that means a microband is minimizing the material degradation, means plastic maintain their performance and appearance for a longer time, which again.

00:04:55: reduces waste and products stay longer in life and end up later in landfills, which is what everybody wants.

00:05:04: And additionally, these solutions offer more sustainable growth, more sustainable alternatives to traditional antimicrobial formulations.

00:05:14: And this is supporting again the regulatory compliance and the growing consumer demand for environmental Responsible products

00:05:24: right there.

00:05:25: It's a really quite a mouthful right that you're telling me all the things that microband does even one things of the brand.

00:05:33: What value proposition should come top of mind when one thinks of microband?

00:05:40: Yeah, the key message that should stay top in mind is actually empowerment control and confidence.

00:05:48: And we did some research on it.

00:05:50: And fifty six percent of decision makers and sixty percent of consumers associate microbands with these values.

00:06:00: And that's not all.

00:06:02: I mean, microband is not just an ingredient, an invisible ingredient, actually.

00:06:08: It's a promise.

00:06:09: Right.

00:06:09: So it empowers brands to deliver products that perform better and last longer.

00:06:15: And they give control.

00:06:17: for consumers over the cleaning less, freshness and longevity, which provides confidence for the protection of products they use every day.

00:06:27: Absolutely right.

00:06:29: So yeah, and finally, this is a combination of performance and reliability, what makes MicroBan a trusted partner for global brands.

00:06:38: Everyone is talking about the fact that we need to have I think of greater responsibility in it with regards to how we go about producing plastics and the like.

00:06:51: How does Microband incorporate the idea of sustainability as well as circular economy principles in their product development?

00:07:00: Yeah, as stated already before, sustainability is definitely a core concentration of microband development strategy.

00:07:09: It's getting more and more emphasis.

00:07:11: We have more and more sustainable active ingredients, including formulations inspired actually by nature.

00:07:20: And we actually extend the longevity of plastic products by reducing microbial growth.

00:07:28: that can cause stains, orders, and early material degradation.

00:07:33: And this is how we support actually the economy approach, circular economy approach, because yeah, first, products last longer.

00:07:42: Second, they are less likely to be discarded.

00:07:46: And third, yeah, they reduce landfill waste.

00:07:50: Yeah, because they will be actually waste much later.

00:07:55: Absolutely.

00:07:57: Yeah, and finally, I mean, this approach allows MicroBan to combine high performance protection with sustainability and regulatory responsibility.

00:08:07: And this is important for our role as trusted partner for brands worldwide.

00:08:13: Well thought through, Stefan.

00:08:15: Yeah, very

00:08:16: good.

00:08:19: What does the K mean to MicroBan worldwide as well as for your customers?

00:08:26: Yeah, actually, the Casio is a tremendous opportunity for MicroBan and our customers worldwide.

00:08:32: There's no doubt about it.

00:08:34: I mean, being part of such a globally respected platform allows us to connect with the wider plastic community, share knowledge.

00:08:43: showcase our latest innovations and antimicrobial protection and it is a chance for us to demonstrate actually our global leadership and commitment for antimicrobial solutions.

00:08:56: and furthermore it also enables our partners to highlight.

00:09:03: plastic products that are treated with microband technologies.

00:09:07: And actually visitors can see this information first hand at our booth.

00:09:13: So please be invited to visit our booth to see them.

00:09:19: And summarizing just to say that it's all about building trust, strengthening relationships and inspiring confidence for our customers.

00:09:30: and consumers certainly.

00:09:32: Wonderful.

00:09:33: Stefan, thank you so much for taking the time.

00:09:35: You're welcome.

00:09:35: You've been a wonderful spokesperson for Microban.

00:09:37: Thanks a lot for being here.

00:09:38: I really appreciate you being here as well.

00:09:41: And because it's the last day, I wish you also safe travels home.

00:09:46: Thanks.

00:09:47: Thanks.

00:09:47: I will do.

00:09:48: Very good.

00:09:48: Thanks a lot.

00:09:50: So there you have it.

00:09:51: It's Microban.

00:09:52: speaking to Stefan Brunt and just really the importance of why this brand is so currently important.

00:10:00: We took a little bit of a listen to what the exhibitors have to say about the K- in twenty five.

00:10:10: Obviously it happens every three years, but there was a lot of energy and excitement in the halls.

00:10:17: Let's have a listen.

00:10:24: We are very happy to be here because

00:10:26: the K Show is the most

00:10:28: important fair in the world for our market.

00:10:31: This is a good opportunity for everybody to meet new persons and new contacts.

00:10:35: It's very good for us to be in the fair here because this is the center of the plastic in the world and thank you for having

00:10:42: us.

00:10:42: I think it's really a unique chance to meet people from all over the world to present new technology.

00:10:49: And I can tell you, this is really worldwide, the only show having this wide range of products presented and also customers here.

00:10:57: We are happy to be here.

00:10:59: It is the biggest show.

00:11:00: Thank you.

00:11:01: Thanks, Sean.

00:11:08: And it's always nice to have excited and satisfied customers here at the trade fair at the K. And as if by magic, we have our next guest, our COO of Bessie Düsseldorf, Myra Speerleman.

00:11:22: Thank you so much for being here.

00:11:24: Very

00:11:24: happy to be here.

00:11:25: Very

00:11:25: good.

00:11:25: We're going to start with some rapid fire questions just for people to get to know you a little bit and also get the energy up.

00:11:32: And we're going to go through ten and you just choose the one that speaks more to you.

00:11:37: All right.

00:11:38: Let's do it.

00:11:39: For breakfast, coffee or tea?

00:11:40: Coffee.

00:11:42: Big data or intuition?

00:11:44: Big data.

00:11:45: In your leisure time, a morning run or evening gym session?

00:11:49: Morning run.

00:11:50: At home, would I find plastic bottles or glass bottles more?

00:11:54: Of course, plastic bottles.

00:11:57: Are you more for prevention or the treatment approach?

00:12:01: Prevention.

00:12:03: Scheduled meetings or spontaneous chat?

00:12:06: Absolutely, scheduled meeting.

00:12:08: Your favorite time of the trade fair is it shortly before or during the preparation or is it shortly after when you're generating insights and learnings?

00:12:16: All of it.

00:12:17: No, it's during.

00:12:18: During.

00:12:19: Okay.

00:12:20: Very good.

00:12:21: Are you a person more for taking risks or playing it safe?

00:12:25: Taking risks.

00:12:26: Taking risks.

00:12:27: If you had a superpower, would you prefer invisibility or time travel?

00:12:33: Invisibility.

00:12:34: Invisibility.

00:12:35: Difficult word.

00:12:36: Difficult word.

00:12:38: On your playlist, what I find classic rock or electronic beats?

00:12:44: Absolutely classic rock.

00:12:46: Ah,

00:12:46: very good.

00:12:47: Thank you, Marius.

00:12:48: We'll go into the more serious part of the interview.

00:12:51: Thank you for participating.

00:12:54: The curtain is currently falling on the K-twenty-twenty-five, and I'm wanting to know what surprised you most during this trade fair.

00:13:03: Right now it's day eight, last show day, seven days are behind us.

00:13:08: And I made sure that I had time on all seven days to really go into the halls and experience this massive trade show firsthand.

00:13:16: And this is really special when you go into the halls and you feel the energy, you feel the international vibe and you feel the good mood of the industry, despite headwinds.

00:13:27: This is really what impressed me most.

00:13:29: The good mood plus the international scale of the trade show.

00:13:33: You've accompanied the K as you mentioned very very closely.

00:13:37: What was your biggest insight and learning that might be applied to the next K in three years?

00:13:44: You know For me, Michael K is more than just a trade fair.

00:13:48: It's more than a place where exhibitors and visitors meet.

00:13:52: I would really say, and this is where K is special.

00:13:54: It goes far beyond.

00:13:55: Now, what do I mean by far beyond?

00:13:57: It's more that innovation are shown here.

00:13:59: It's that really all the important people, the impactful people of the industry come together so that we are really looking at the future of the industry.

00:14:07: It's showing innovation and this on a really truly international scale that is really different.

00:14:13: Absolutely, I can't agree more.

00:14:15: We've been talking a lot about the theory of circular economy.

00:14:20: When you went through the caves here, did you see some sort of proof of concept?

00:14:26: Are we slowly but surely getting into living that, performing that.

00:14:32: Was it visible for you?

00:14:33: It is visible.

00:14:34: And I think circular economy has truly arrived.

00:14:37: You know, when we look at cars in the past, former editions, you could see they were often, you know, ideas, concepts.

00:14:44: But what we do actually see now is the implementation.

00:14:47: Real cases, and it's driven by innovation, but sustainability is driving innovation as well.

00:14:53: So this is definitely a topic which is real.

00:14:57: Very good.

00:14:57: And I'm glad to see it's becoming more and more a reality.

00:15:00: It was time and it is there.

00:15:01: It has arrived.

00:15:02: Absolutely right.

00:15:04: I'm going to bring your colleague Thomas Franken into the conversation as well.

00:15:09: He's the project director of Decay.

00:15:11: He said that the industry felt optimistic despite the economic challenges.

00:15:16: You mentioned headwinds just now earlier as well.

00:15:20: Can you kind of see that optimism as well?

00:15:24: I agree with Thomas.

00:15:26: He's right.

00:15:27: Headwind was there, is there still.

00:15:31: But I believe that K has really created this momentum.

00:15:35: Now the industry is picking up.

00:15:37: When going through the whole speaking with various exhibitors from all over the world, it's really that deals have been made here at K. And this is not only limited to a specific region.

00:15:48: It's really all around the world.

00:15:50: And this again, this is the magic of K. Absolutely

00:15:53: right.

00:15:54: As people prepare to travel back home, this being the last day, what is the one key message that you want the people to take back into their companies?

00:16:05: I believe, and I strongly believe in this, that K has shown the power of plastic as what we call it, that's our slogan, green smart responsible.

00:16:14: And we here at K we are we are shaping the future of the plastic industry.

00:16:18: It's not and this is so key for everybody to understand and to see.

00:16:22: It's not that we're only moderating.

00:16:24: We together as K with the entire industry are really shaping the future and formulating.

00:16:29: What is it like?

00:16:30: And this is what I want people to take back and remember that really the future of plastic is shaped here at K.

00:16:38: Beautiful statement.

00:16:39: I think I couldn't have said it better myself.

00:16:42: So I have one final question before we end the interview.

00:16:47: Do you have by any chance the date for the next K?

00:16:51: We have, Michael, it's always something we unveil on the last showday of K and the next K, twenty twenty eight will take place October eighteenths to the twenty-fifth.

00:17:01: Thank you so much for being here.

00:17:03: I appreciate you taking your time.

00:17:05: So there you have it, October eighteenths to the twenty-first, please mark that in your diaries, because that is exactly when the next K will take place.

00:17:16: I wish you in the meantime, safe travels back home.

00:17:20: I wish you had a wonderful time here at the K and I look forward seeing you again in twenty twenty eight.

00:17:26: See you then and bye bye.

00:17:29: This show was brought to you by

00:17:31: the Microban.