The Plastko conference attracted two hundred experts from all over the country
Zlín, April 23, 2026 - On April 22-23, 2026, the PLASTKO 2026 professional conference took place at the Tomas Bata University in Zlín, which this year focused on current trends in the plastics industry. The traditional event, whose history goes back to 2008, again attracted experts from both the academic and commercial spheres. The conference is jointly organized by the TBU University Institute, the Center for Polymer Systems, the TBU Technology Transfer Center and the Plastics Cluster. The main goal was to acquaint the professional public with the latest findings in the field, support the sharing of good practice and foster cooperation between companies and academic institutions. “For the University Institute and especially its research unit, the Center for Polymer Systems, the crucial fact is that research results do not end only in laboratories but find real utilization in industry. Cooperation with companies, cluster organizations and institutions that we have represented here today is a fundamental pillar of further development for us,” said Prof. Michal Sedlačík, Director of the University Institute TBU. “The Plastko conference has long been an important platform for meetings of top experts from research and industry. Its high professional level and emphasis on current topics enable participants to gain valuable knowledge and at the same time develop cooperation across the field,” said Prof. Vladimír Sedlařík, Director of the Center for Polymer Systems. The opening session of the conference began with a presentation of the activities of the Center for Polymer Systems in the field of sustainability and cooperation with industry. This was followed by expert contributions focused, for example, on functional layers and design of plastic materials, the use of plasma technologies or the development of bio-epoxy formulations. “The conference program was divided into two days and included plenary and expert lectures that addressed current topics such as circular economy, chemical recycling of plastics, new material technologies or innovative production processes,” added the director of the Transfer Technology Center TBU, Ing. Ivana Bartoníková, on behalf of the organizers. The accompanying program presented the results of the projects of the National Competence Center PolyEnvi and other research activities implemented at the Center for Polymer Systems. Participants also joined in the Design Thinking workshop on the topic of using waste biomass as a component for new sustainable materials and products, which is related to the CirkArena project. “The program also included poster presentations, an electronic collection of contributions and a space for company presentations within the exhibition areas. Participants had the opportunity to discuss and establish new professional contacts,” said Dr. Přemysl Strážnický from the Transfer Technology Center. The PLASTKO 2026 conference was attended by approximately 200 experts from research organizations, universities as well as industrial sphere. The event thus once again confirmed its impact as an important platform for sharing knowledge, striking up cooperation and supporting innovation in the plastics sector.
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