A sustainable circular economy requires technological expertise and qualified young talent. How both can be systematically combined will be demonstrated by ITQ GmbH and Gerda Stetter Stiftung „Technik macht Spass!“ from May 07 to 13, 2026, at interpack in Düsseldorf, in the VDMA Technology Lounge in Hall 4A, Booth C54. The focus is on the CirQmind project – Circular Economy through Circular Society – which inspires young people to engage with sustainability through a lived circular economy and future technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Experiencing the Circular Economy Firsthand: CirQmind Live
CirQmind goes far beyond traditional recycling. The initiative combines Recycle, Rebuild, Reuse, and Reskill into a holistic educational approach. This becomes tangible at the exhibition booth at interpack: visitors can experience the entire cycle live – from waste sorting and shredding to the production of new products via injection molding. Collected plastic caps are transformed into customized giveaways such as carabiners and flashlights right before the eyes of visitors.
Visitors can also test the new AI Candy Machine Demonstrator. Here, artificial intelligence is not explained but experienced live. Using a chatbot, users select a desired snack. A trained image recognition AI identifies and classifies the objects in real time before a robotic arm precisely picks and serves them. The entire demonstrator is developed by an interdisciplinary student team and serves as an example of how AI competencies can already be practically embedded in education. The underlying principles range from custom-trained datasets and neural networks to automated sorting. These technologies can be transferred to industrial applications, such as intelligent quality control and sustainable recycling processes in the packaging industry.
Diverse STEM Program at the Booth
In addition to the CirQmind exhibit, ITQ GmbH offers an extensive workshop and activity program designed to engage visitors throughout the entire trade fair week: students gain hands-on insights into automation, electronics, and sustainable production.
In LEGO-Mindstorms-Workshops, participants build and program autonomous robots while learning the fundamentals of sensors and programming. As part of the EU-funded EduDemoS project, sustainable demonstrators for solar and wind energy are created from recycled materials with IoT connectivity. In Minecraft Education workshops, children and teenagers develop digital cities of the future and apply programming concepts such as variables, conditions, and loops. Arduino and microcontroller workshops provide a practical introduction to electronics and embedded systems, while brush robot kits introduce younger participants to mechanics and electrical engineering.
The trade fair week is structured by themed focus days. Planned highlights include an Artificial Intelligence Day, a large-scale swap event in cooperation with the RecycleBar by Startupscheune on Saturday, and a Young Talents Day inviting schools and vocational institutions from the region to experience future technologies firsthand.
Background: From PlastiX to CirQmind
The CirQmind project builds on the success of the student initiative PlastiX and expands the approach with a societal dimension: a functioning circular economy requires an engaged circular society. Through workshops, MAKEATHONS, and educational projects, pupils, students, and young engineers are encouraged to develop their own solutions for intelligent waste collection, material processing, and reuse. The EU-funded EduDemoS project integrates circular thinking directly into school education: recycled plastic filaments are used in 3D printing to produce learning objects and demonstrators.
CirQmind’s roadmap includes international presentations at leading industry trade fairs. Following drinktec 2025, the project will now appear at interpack 2026 and next year at automatica 2027.
More Information:
ITQ GmbH
Dr. Stetter ITQ S.L.U
SMART GREEN ISLAND MAKEATHON
Gerda Stetter Foundation – Technik macht Spass!
Experiencing the Circular Economy Firsthand: CirQmind Live
CirQmind goes far beyond traditional recycling. The initiative combines Recycle, Rebuild, Reuse, and Reskill into a holistic educational approach. This becomes tangible at the exhibition booth at interpack: visitors can experience the entire cycle live – from waste sorting and shredding to the production of new products via injection molding. Collected plastic caps are transformed into customized giveaways such as carabiners and flashlights right before the eyes of visitors.
Visitors can also test the new AI Candy Machine Demonstrator. Here, artificial intelligence is not explained but experienced live. Using a chatbot, users select a desired snack. A trained image recognition AI identifies and classifies the objects in real time before a robotic arm precisely picks and serves them. The entire demonstrator is developed by an interdisciplinary student team and serves as an example of how AI competencies can already be practically embedded in education. The underlying principles range from custom-trained datasets and neural networks to automated sorting. These technologies can be transferred to industrial applications, such as intelligent quality control and sustainable recycling processes in the packaging industry.
Diverse STEM Program at the Booth
In addition to the CirQmind exhibit, ITQ GmbH offers an extensive workshop and activity program designed to engage visitors throughout the entire trade fair week: students gain hands-on insights into automation, electronics, and sustainable production.
In LEGO-Mindstorms-Workshops, participants build and program autonomous robots while learning the fundamentals of sensors and programming. As part of the EU-funded EduDemoS project, sustainable demonstrators for solar and wind energy are created from recycled materials with IoT connectivity. In Minecraft Education workshops, children and teenagers develop digital cities of the future and apply programming concepts such as variables, conditions, and loops. Arduino and microcontroller workshops provide a practical introduction to electronics and embedded systems, while brush robot kits introduce younger participants to mechanics and electrical engineering.
The trade fair week is structured by themed focus days. Planned highlights include an Artificial Intelligence Day, a large-scale swap event in cooperation with the RecycleBar by Startupscheune on Saturday, and a Young Talents Day inviting schools and vocational institutions from the region to experience future technologies firsthand.
Background: From PlastiX to CirQmind
The CirQmind project builds on the success of the student initiative PlastiX and expands the approach with a societal dimension: a functioning circular economy requires an engaged circular society. Through workshops, MAKEATHONS, and educational projects, pupils, students, and young engineers are encouraged to develop their own solutions for intelligent waste collection, material processing, and reuse. The EU-funded EduDemoS project integrates circular thinking directly into school education: recycled plastic filaments are used in 3D printing to produce learning objects and demonstrators.
CirQmind’s roadmap includes international presentations at leading industry trade fairs. Following drinktec 2025, the project will now appear at interpack 2026 and next year at automatica 2027.
More Information:
ITQ GmbH
Dr. Stetter ITQ S.L.U
SMART GREEN ISLAND MAKEATHON
Gerda Stetter Foundation – Technik macht Spass!
