Bernhard Rieger and Costantino Creton are renowned academics with extensive experience in collaborating with industry. As scientific advisors of DPI, they help connect industry and academia and safeguard the scientific quality of the DPI projects that industry selects as most relevant. We asked them about their experiences in connecting academia to industry, their vision on the future of polymers and polymer research, and the relevance of DPI in a rapidly changing world.
In their role as scientific advisors, the two professors help the companies of DPI to connect with top researchers in academia with relevant expertise and state-of-the-art scientific tools. They also chair and moderate review meetings and provide guidance to the PhD students and postdocs in DPI projects. Creton: “At times, we are ‘translators’ to help PhD students understand what the industrial scientists are looking for.” This also works the other way round, Rieger adds: “The game of DPI is not about offering industry a ‘workbench’ to solve their current problems. It is about pre-competitive research, charting future directions. As scientific advisors we provide valuable ideas, bringing a university background and an international perspective.”
Guidance and new ideas
Bridging industry and academia may seem like a challenge, but both Creton and Rieger are quite positive about the opportunities. In their experience many companies want to look beyond the issues of the day. Creton says most companies are interested in guidance and new ideas: “Sometimes simply as an outside viewpoint to help solve their problems internally. But they are also interested in new ideas that are not yet ready for commercial use, to think ahead, towards the future.” Conversely, many academics are curious about the real problems faced by industry: “They can provide inspiration and keep your own fundamental research relevant.”
Academic researchers need not fear that working for DPI will curtail their academic freedom, says Rieger: “In my experience, industry has a clear understanding that universities need to publish excellent, top science. In the end, industry is also looking for that.” He adds that DPI research really is academically challenging and beyond industrial urgency. “As an example, in one of the projects we are exploring materials based on ring-shaped polymer chains. This will probably never end up as a commodity product in industry. But it might open new ways of thinking about polymers.”
Companies joining DPI know that long-term science fuels future success
Rieger is very positive that DPI members are open to such research. “We have the joy and the luck to know that companies do follow up after such pre-competitive research. They often adopt the developed technologies and then develop them further in-house. So at DPI, we are really at the start of new developments.” He strongly believes that “without research, there is no innovation. And companies who are not innovative simply die.” And it is not only about the science, it is also about the people: “I am convinced that the experience with complex problems and working towards industrial solutions prepares our students for taking leading positions in industry. They know what innovation means. I also think this distinguishes polymer scientists from people that have studied maybe law, or economics.”
Adapt to a changing world
To Rieger the close collaboration between academia and industry has over the years been a big part of the European successes in polymers. “European industries really understand the importance of basic research as the development component for innovation. I really think this is one of the important aspects of the success story of the European chemical and polymer industry.
That being said, the European chemicals and polymer industry is currently under considerable pressure. Plants are closing down and companies are reorienting their business. What will this hold for the future of polymer science? To Creton, aspects such as sustainability, recycling, and circular plastics will continue to remain very relevant to Europe. “In a global perspective, the focus of research on these topics will definitely be here in Europe. On the other hand, we might see the production of polymers go where the customers are, and that’s definitely Asia. Whether R&D will then stay in Europe, that remains a challenge.”
Rieger hopes that Europe can remain in the lead. He reminds of the fact that the global production of plastics, which currently lies around 400 million tonnes worldwide, is expected to triple around 2050. “At the same time, the world wants to move away from fossil feedstocks. Now, which part of the world is more prone than Europe to take on this challenge? Of course there are fantastic researchers in other parts of the world, in China, in India. But here we have a long history in doing research, transferring research results to industry, and training people. I hope very much that this long tradition, which has been so successful, can be maintained. But we do have to find the solution to stay competitive. The world is definitely changing and we can only adapt if we are clever and if we train the best people.”
Bring focus to research efforts
The two advisors see an important role for DPI in aligning societal wishes and demands regarding non-fossil feedstock, CO₂ neutrality and plastics circularity with the needs of industry. To Creton it is clear that companies will adapt to such scenario’s either through great innovations, seizing new opportunities, or through legislation that will force companies to change course. “Either way, DPI has a role to play in accompanying the companies through that transition and pointing the way to the most promising path.” At the same time, DPI can help bring focus to academic efforts: “Currently we see many researchers jumping the bandwagon of the ecological transition and the circular economy. Academic research is going in many directions. I think a discussion between industry and academia is more important than ever, so that together we can establish what will work, what will not work, what makes sense or doesn’t make sense. DPI can help contribute the perspective of the industry to guide the research.”
Rieger agrees wholeheartedly: “In my eyes, the DPI platform is unique worldwide. It brings the needs of industries that understand each other to academic researchers who are willing to look into this and develop it further. DPI has the strategies and tools to organise this collaboration.” He understands why non-European companies have also joined DPI, as does Creton: “To have companies funding joint research all over Europe – or all over the world even – and selecting the best university groups to do so, that is quite unique. The structure of DPI allows to do this. And I think it is done as efficiently as it can be.”
Who’s talking
Prof. Bernhard Rieger holds the WACKER-Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich (TUM, Germany). His research is all about “Chemistry & Function” which is reflected in topics as diverse as Catalytic Precision Polymerization (CPP) for Responsive Materials; CO2 Utilization (polymers & photocatalysis); Low-valent Organo-Silicon Compounds; and Silicon Nanocomposites for (Opto)Electronic Applications. Rieger is the director of the Institute of Silicon Chemistry and has served as the chairman of the TUM Senate since 2016.
Prof. Costantino Creton is CNRS research director at the Soft Matter Science and Engineering Laboratory that is part of ESPCI Paris – PSL, where he has served as vice-president of research since 2019. His research focuses on the mechanical properties, dynamics and structure/properties relationship of soft polymer based materials such as soft adhesives, rubbers or hydrogels. Creton is also a Distinguished Professor at the Global Station for Soft Matter of Hokkaido University (Japan).
This interview is the last in a series of five, exploring the added value of pre-competitive research and the role of the DPI community in advancing polymer innovation. The series is produced by science writer Harm Ikink. Other interviews in the series are:
- It’s a huge risk to mistake a symptom for the actual problem, with Markus Gahleitner (Borealis), and Rein Borggreve (DPI)
- If you just deliver on business needs, you might miss out on tomorrow’s trends, with Markus Gahleitner (Borealis), Anton Ginzburg (KU Leuven), and Aurélie Bourdet (Hutchinson)
- This was a fantastic opportunity, I was able to learn so many things, with Markus Gahleitner (Borealis), Anton Ginzburg (KU Leuven), Aurélie Bourdet (Hutchinson), and Rein Borggreve (DPI)
- When I’m in touch with industries, I have a lot more leverage than when just writing a scientific paper, with Anton Ginzburg (KU Leuven), and Markus Gahleitner (Borealis)
Curious to learn more? Meet our community, get to know our way of working or get in touch: