AI Circular Economy 2026: Shaping Sustainable Innovation

The upcoming AI Circular Economy Conference 2026, organized by nova-Institute, will be held as a hybrid event on 4–5 March 2026 in Cologne, Germany. The conference aims to showcase the diverse applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advancing circular chemistry, sustainable materials, and digital innovation across the industrial value chain.

The two-day event will bring together thought leaders from sectors such as chemicals, plastics, biotechnology, CO₂ utilization, and digital transformation to examine how AI can drive sustainability, optimize production processes, and create smarter, more efficient business models.

The preliminary program, now published, highlights topics ranging from process optimization and data-driven transformation to material innovation, biotechnology, and cybersecurity. It reflects the growing influence of AI in every aspect of the renewable carbon value chain — from molecular design and manufacturing to policy frameworks and system-level management.

Confirmed speakers in the preliminary lineup include:

Delphine Largeteau, Schneider Electric: “Unlocking Digital Circularity: A Game Changer!”
Rosario Othen & Florian Pohlmeyer, RWTH Aachen University: “From Data to Decisions: Digital Twins and Data Spaces for a Sustainable Process Industry.”
Dr. Dennis Krause, Covestro: “From Digital Polyurethane Processing to AI: Insights into Circular Production Readiness.”
Dr. Zora Rerop, Dahlia Biotech: “Efficiency and Scale in Industrial Biotechnology: How AI Can Shape Europe’s Renewable Chemical Future.”
Prof. Dr. Christian Hummert, Cyberagentur: “AI and Cybersecurity in the Chemical Industry.”
Dr. Xaiza Aniban, ExoMatter GmbH: “AI-Powered Acceleration of Sustainable Materials Discovery.”
Johanna Kutschenreuter, Ehrenmüller GmbH: “KIKS – AI-Powered Platform for the Plastics Industry.”
Alexis Cuquel, Kanadevia Inova: “Optimizing Biomethane Production Through AI-Driven Feed Planning in Anaerobic Digestion Plants.”

Advisory Board Ensures Scientific Excellence

The Conference Advisory Board plays a central role in shaping the scientific and thematic direction of the event. Comprising leading experts from research, industry, and digital innovation, the board ensures that the program remains independent, insightful, and of the highest quality.

Members include Dr. Lars Börger, Michael Carus, and Achim Raschka (nova-Institute); Dr. Tina Buchholz (VCI); Dr. Christine Bunte (PlasticsEurope Deutschland); Dr. Patrick Glöckner (Evonik); Prof. Dr. Dirk Hecker (Fraunhofer IAIS); Dr. Tobias Klement (CLIB); Dr. Wolfgang Lippert (Microsoft); Nils Janus (Covestro); and Alex Dickmann (German AI Association – KI Bundesverband). Together, they represent the entire renewable carbon value chain — from chemistry and biotechnology to digital transformation — ensuring the conference addresses the most relevant developments in AI-driven sustainability.

Unlocking the Power of Renewable Carbon with AI

As nova-Institute’s latest flagship event, the AI Circular Economy Conference 2026 will demonstrate how advanced AI tools are unlocking the potential of renewable carbon from biomass, carbon capture utilization (CCU), and recycling.

Key discussion themes include:

Transparency and traceability through digital product passports
Modeling, simulation, and process optimization
Discovery of new circular materials and clean technologies
Sustainability assessments and life-cycle analytics
Supply chain management and strategic autonomy
Cybersecurity in AI-enabled industrial systems

For more details, visit https://ai-circulareconomy.eu.
Further resources, publications, and media materials are available at https://renewable-carbon.eu/publications and https://nova-institute.eu/news/pr/.