Summer School 2026
RePlastify the Future: Reinventing Plastics for Tomorrow | July 6–10, 2026
Join us for a dynamic, cross-campus Summer School exploring cutting-edge pathways to redesign, reuse, and rethink plastics for a sustainable future. Over five days—2.5 days at Montanuniversität Leoben and 2.5 days at Johannes Kepler University Linz—Master’s and doctoral students from both institutions will engage with experts, hands-on sessions, and collaborative challenges at the forefront of polymer innovation and circular design.
Further program details will follow soon.
More Infos
- Dates: July 6–10, 2026
- Duration & venues: 2.5 days (July 6–8) at Johannes Kepler University Linz; 2.5 days (July 8–10) at Montanuniversität Leoben
- Target group: Master’s and doctoral students of Montanuniversität Leoben and Johannes Kepler University Linz
- Maximum number of participants: 30
- Focus: Polymer innovation, circular design, reuse/recycling strategies
- Language: English
- Application deadline: End of May, or earlier if all slots are filled
- Participation fee: €200.00
- Included in the fee: Workshops; lunch (except day 3); coffee breaks; dinners on days 1 and 3; certificate of participation
- Not included: Travel to/from Linz/Leoben; accommodation; dinners on days 2 and 4
- Cancellation policy: Participation can be cancelled free of charge until Monday, June 22, 2026. If you cancel later than this, or do not cancel at all, you will be required to pay the fee.
Contact: Priv.-Doz. Dr.mont. Florian Arbeiter — florian.arbeiter(at)unileoben.ac.at
Program
RePlastify the Future: Reinventing Plastics for Tomorrow
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 – 08:30 | Arrival Linz Innenstadt Kepler Salon Rathausgasse 5 4020 Linz | Prof. Gerald Berger-Weber | Prof. Jörg Fischer / Dr. Klaus Straka | Prof. Clemens Holzer / DI David Zidar / Dr. Christine Bandl Wintrust Wintersport resource efficiency and improved circular economy | Prof. Grießer, Dr. Lassnig SLA DLP Based AM - Development of resins and printed Electronics |
| 08:30 – 09:00 | |||||
| 09:00 – 09:30 | |||||
| 09:30 – 10:00 | |||||
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Break | Break | Break | Break | |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Presentations by students from Leoben My PhD / MSc. | Prof. Zoltan Major / Priv.-Doz. Umut Cakmak | Prof. Katharina Resch-Fauster The New Carbon Economy: From Bio-Feedstocks to CO₂ Valorization | Dr. Elisabeth Ladstätter Introducing PCCL – The Centre for Circularity, Functionality and Digitalization in Polymer Technologies | |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Welcome & Plenary Lecture Prof. R. Lang Past, Present and Future of Plastics - The (real) Big Picture | ||||
| 11:30 – 12:00 | |||||
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Lunch | Lunch/Mensa | |||
| 12:30 – 13:00 | Lunch | Travel to Leoben | Lunch / Mensa | ||
| 13:00 – 13:30 | Workshop - Linz city center | Prof. Paulik | Prof. Ewald Fauster Processing of natural fiber composites | Presentations by students from Linz My PhD / MSc. | |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | |||||
| 14:00 – 14:30 | |||||
| 14:30 – 15:00 | |||||
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Break | Break | Resumee | ||
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Dr.in Schmitt Sustainable Development | Prof. Clara Schuecker / Prof. Gerald Pinter od. Vasco Castro Pires + DI Maria Gfrerrer Composites (general) & Testing | End of Summer School | ||
| 16:00 – 16:30 | |||||
| 16:30 – 17:00 | |||||
| 17:00 – 17:30 | |||||
| 17:30 – 18:00 | Dinner Linz | End Day 2 | End Day 4 | ||
| 18:00 – 18:30 | Dinner Leoben sponsored by Department Polymer Engineering and Science Leoben Arkandenhof | ||||
| 18:30 – 19:00 | |||||
| 19:00 – 19:30 | End Day 1 | ||||
| 19:30 | End Day 3 |
Speaker
Katharina Resch-Fauster
Katharina Resch-Fauster grew up in the Murtal region and began studying Polymer Engineering at Montanuniversität Leoben in 1999, later earning a doctorate in polymer physics. She pursued an academic career in sustainable polymer engineering, shaped by research activities in Leoben and at renowned institutions in the USA and Germany. In 2018 she completed her habilitation and became Associate Professor at the Chair of Materials Science and Testing of Polymers at Montanuniversität Leoben, where she leads the research group SMART - Sustainable Materials and Recycling Technology. Her research has received multiple awards.
Elisabeth Ladstätter
Elisabeth Ladstätter studied Polymer Engineering at the University of Leoben. She began her professional career in 1999 as Assistant to the Vice President of Production at Polytec Group, a role she held until 2001. Shethen worked as an R&D Project Engineer at FACC AG from 2001 to 2004, while simultaneously contributing as a Researcher at Polymer Competence Center GmbH between 2002 and 2005. From 2006 to 2009, she served as R&D M&PE Director at FACC AG. In 2009, she movedto the Technical University of Munich, where she acted as Deputy Head of the Chair of Carbon Composites until 2018. Since then, she has been serving as CEO of Polymer Competence Center GmbH.
Registration
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Department Polymer Engineering and Science at Montanuniversität Leoben
Department of Chemistry and Polymer Engineering at Johannes Kepler University Linz