Global IT infrastructure and services company NTT has released its Global Network Report 2022-23. The annual report reveals that 70 percent of CEOs believe the maturity of their network is negatively impacting their business operations. The adoption of hybrid, distributed work environments with numerous networked devices is on the rise in enterprises. However, despite investments, only two in five companies are satisfied with their current network capabilities. "This shows that we are entering a new era of network modernization. According to the report, 90 percent of executives want to be confident that their network environment will accelerate their business growth and support AI. We're talking about AI in Operations, or AIOps," said Hajar El Haddaoui, senior director and member of the executive team at NTT Ltd. in Switzerland.

Secure hybrid environments

As hybrid working models offer far more opportunities for external attacks, network security has become massively more important as an essential part of the network architecture. This is driving enterprises to embrace centralized and cloud-based security solutions and a managed security model. It is also increasing investment in network cybersecurity. "From the report, 93 percent of executives believe that new threats will increase the security demands on their enterprise network, requiring an increased level of access controls and inspection," said Hajar El Haddaoui.

The shift to network-as-a-service models

The executives surveyed say that security, modernization and access to a comprehensive range of services from their provider are their top priorities, ahead of cost. In terms of managing the network, more than 90 percent of decision makers prefer the network-as-a-service model, citing flexibility in setup and tear-down as the main benefit. In addition, the complexity of deploying effective AIOps and automation solutions makes the network-as-a-service model even more attractive. This is especially true in light of the fact that while the solutions are complex to configure at the outset, they subsequently simplify ongoing network operations.

"A future-proof network is of utmost importance for any organization to realize growth opportunities. We observe in the Swiss market that a modern infrastructure strengthens the innovative power and future security of companies and organizations. Managed service solutions accelerate this development," summarizes Hajar El Haddaoui. The innovation trailblazer's recommendation: "The network serves as a platform for digital transformation. It forms the basis for digital services, business models and innovation. Web3, edge computing, 5G, Metaverse, blockchain, automation and all the exciting future models can be realized quickly and effectively in diverse verticals as well as in eHealth using state-of-the-art enterprise networks."

The report ends with seven considerations for executives who want to develop and future-proof their network. 

Further information

The joy of the plastics and rubber industry at finally being able to exchange ideas in person again on a global level after three years characterized the course of K 2022 Düsseldorf and ensured an excellent mood among the 3,037 exhibitors. 176,000 trade visitors from all continents traveled to Düsseldorf for their most important industry event. The proportion of international guests at K 2022 was consistently high at over 70 percent.

Setting the course for a more sustainable future

The Fair went October 26 2022 came to an end. The companies reported exceptionally good contacts and a clear willingness to invest on the part of the trade visitors, the establishment of promising new customer relationships and numerous business deals, some of them spontaneous. Although the current unpredictability and unpredictability of events makes for a tense overall situation in the industry, this did nothing to dampen the commitment of exhibitors and the interest of visitors, quite the contrary: "K 2022 was the ideal place, especially now - in stormy times and when the plastics industry is in the midst of the transformation process towards a circular economy - to actively set the course for the future together," said Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the K 2022 Exhibitor Advisory Board. Above all, the wealth of new technological developments presented by raw material producers, machine builders and processors of plastics for the realization of the circular economy, for resource conservation and on the subject of climate protection would have excited the trade visitors.

The trade visitors to this year's K came to the Rhine from 157 nations. In addition to Germany, the nations strongly represented on the visitor side from Europe were the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, France, Belgium, Poland and Spain. The reach of K is as strong as usual with a 42 percent share from overseas among international trade visitors. While guests from the East Asian region in particular were less strongly represented than at K three years ago due to the currently more difficult conditions in these countries as a result of quarantine regulations, numerous visitors from the USA, Brazil and India were welcomed at K 2022.

Plant engineering and environmental services in high demand at K 2022

Machinery and plant engineering ranked first in the interest shown by around two thirds of all visitors surveyed. Fifty-seven percent, five percent more than at K 2019, said they were interested in raw and auxiliary materials, with recycled materials and bioplastics being particularly popular. For 28 percent, semi-finished products and technical parts made of plastics and rubber were the main reason for coming (multiple answers possible). More than 70 percent of all visitors belonged to top and middle management.

During the eight days of the trade show, it became clear that this year's K was right on target with the selection of its hot topics, circular economy, climate protection and digitalization. In terms of investment intentions, machinery and equipment for processing and recycling stood out with 43 percent. The focus was particularly on sustainability, but also on circular economy and energy/resource efficiency in production. Around 40 percent of decision-makers said they were looking at decarbonization.

The K specials, which also focused on the three hot topics, were also very well received. The official special show, Plastics shape the future, focused on the economic, social and ecological challenges and solution approaches surrounding the K key themes in top-class discussions and presentations, and was well attended throughout. The Circular Economy Forum, in which the VDMA and 13 of its member companies impressively illustrated the important role played by technology in the implementation of circular economy in the plastics industry, scored points with the international audience with live demonstrations and plenty of in-depth knowledge and detailed information on the topic.

International demonstration project presented

Also much discussed at this year's K in Düsseldorf was the world language of production, OPC UA, with which the processing parameters of the machines and devices involved can be coordinated more precisely and specifically. This, in turn, is considered an important prerequisite for optimized closed-loop control. 40 companies from eight countries participated in an OPC UA demonstration project at the trade show.

In the Science Campus, both exhibitors and visitors to K 2022 were given a concentrated overview of scientific activities and results in the plastics and rubber sector. Numerous universities, institutes and funding organizations offered the opportunity for direct dialog here.

The next K in Düsseldorf will take place from 08 to 15 October 2025. Further information on www.k-online.de

Today, no company can do without data. The demands on availability and security of systems, increased efficiency, sustainability and ultimately also on data management have increased enormously. Data centers, which house a large number of systems and thus also store huge amounts of data, must be fully prepared for emergencies and interruptions, including power shortages, and ensure seamless operation. At the end of October 2022, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer also gained an insight into how Green, as the leading Swiss data center provider, ensures business continuity and sustainable data center operations.

Rising demand 

Due to increasing demand, international cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft are also building their own cloud regions in Switzerland in data centers of large providers. Not only hyperscalers are expanding, but also large companies and SMEs are taking advantage of modern and energy-safe data centers. From SMEs to large enterprises, everyone is on the journey to the cloud. Switzerland as a data center plays a central role in this. Ueli Maurer sees this as a great opportunity for Switzerland. For this reason, he says, policymakers must do everything they can to continue to guarantee legal certainty and ensure the reliability of system stability.

High degree of operational reliability

Green is also feeling the strong demand. In the last three years, Green has more than doubled its capacity. Many companies are moving their own server rooms and systems to external data centers or directly to the public cloud. By outsourcing to Green, they benefit from increased security, energy-efficient management, comprehensive data connections, the necessary specialist staff and a secure energy supply.

"At Green, companies have always benefited from an infrastructure that is designed for seamless and energy-efficient operation," explains Roger Süess, CEO of Green, during the tour of the Green Datacenter in Lupfig. "Our emergency power supply is part of our security concept. At all our sites, it consists of UPS systems backed up by batteries, diesel generators, diesel supplies and secured supply chains," explains Andrea Campomilla, COO responsible for the datacenters at Green. This compensates for interruptions and ensures seamless operations.

Data centers are not part of the problem, but part of the solution

In connection with the energy crisis, the question quickly arose as to whether data centers, as major energy consumers, are not downright energy guzzlers and how and where there is potential for savings. Roger Süess explains: "Over 80 percent of the energy consumption in a data center is attributable to hardware operation. Large data centers are already highly optimized today; they consume less than 20 percent of the total energy consumption for cooling, security and systems. The focus should therefore be on virtualization, more efficient hardware, or the outsourcing of systems. Studies show that older corporate data centers in particular could save up to 46 percent energy during operation. They often cool too much, are poorly optimized and do not implement new concepts such as the use of waste heat as heating, natural cooling with ambient air (freecooling) and targeted cooling. These factors have a very large potential for consumption optimization: At Green, waste heat recovery at the new site in Dielsdorf will supply around 3,500 households as well as industry and commerce with heating and process heat. Since the heat network is designed as a closed-loop system, it supplies cooling back to Green. This reduces the cooling effort in the data center and saves energy. All Green data centers use freecooling over 300 days a year, and servers are enclosed to ensure efficient cooling. In addition, Green continuously invests in optimizing energy efficiency with new concepts and equipment, operational optimization, and the use of renewable energy for data center operations.

How data centers can become power plants

Ueli Maurer sees an interesting benefit of the extensive and expensive emergency power supply of data centers in connection with power shortages: "When we have a power shortage, we need everyone. That's where data centers can make a very important contribution. They have a lot of capacity that they could feed in." Making the existing diesel generators available during a power shortage situation is a concept Green is positive about and is already in close contact with the relevant authorities and the balancing power pool. "The generators are already prepared and could be used in an emergency," says Roger Süess. Green is already supporting the tertiary energy network with the emergency power plant. As soon as the relevant ordinances and details have been clarified, Green can feed energy into the grid with the emergency power supply system. And thus support the energy supply as well as stabilize the grid. "Data centers are part of the solution, and we are ready to help in the crisis situation," Roger Süess states.

The energy crisis affects all companies and raises many questions about secure supply. It is likely to lead to a further acceleration in the outsourcing of IT systems and data centers. It is becoming less attractive for companies to be responsible for security, energy efficiency and security of supply themselves.

Source: Green.ch

In order to address global cybersecurity challenges and strengthen digital trust, a new and improved version of the ISO/IEC 27001 published the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 version. The world's best-known standard for information security management helps organizations protect their information - a critical factor in today's increasingly digital world.

The importance of ISO/IEC 27001 certification

Cybercrime is becoming increasingly serious and sophisticated as hackers develop more advanced cybercrime techniques. The World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook report indicates that cyberattacks increased by 125 % globally in 2021, with indications of further increases through 2022. In this rapidly changing landscape, leaders must take a strategic approach to cyber risk.

ISO/IEC 27001 certification, which has been adopted by tens of thousands of organizations, demonstrates an organization's commitment to information security and provides assurance to customers and other partners that it is serious about protecting the information under its control. The standard is technology agnostic, so it doesn't matter what technology environment an organization has. It is formulated so that it can be applied by any organization, from small businesses to large multi-billion dollar enterprises.

Further development to cope with the threats

ISO/IEC 27001 specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continuously improving an ISMS for security and protection. It also includes requirements for assessing and addressing information security risks tailored to an organization's needs. Properly applied, the standard can lead to the following results:

• Increased credibility
• Reducing the risk of fraud, information leakage and disclosure
• Demonstration of the integrity of own systems
• Change in corporate culture and greater awareness of the importance of information security
• New business opportunities with security-conscious customers
• A greater awareness of confidentiality in the workplace
• Better prepare for the inevitable - the next security event or incident

Willy Fabritius, Global Head, Strategy & Business Development at SGS, a global testing, inspection and certification company, comments, "ISO/IEC 27001 was last updated in 2013, and the cyber world and its threats have evolved dramatically. The standard has had to adapt to that." One important change is in the title of the standard alone. It is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 - Information security, cybersecurity and privacy - Information security management systems - Requirements. Other changes include section numbering, new and rearranged text, and updates to Annex A.

Implementation of ISO/IEC 27001:2022: What does it mean now?

If an organization is already ISO/IEC 27001 compliant, no technical changes are required, only updates to documentation. They may need to revise their internal policies to reflect the new sub-clauses and changed requirements. The results of their risk assessment and risk treatment plans should also be reviewed and the Statement of Applicability (SoA) updated.

The transition period is three years from the date of official publication of ISO/IEC 27001:2022, so there is sufficient time to meet the requirements. An ISO/IEC 27001 certificate already acquired will remain valid until the end of this period. Willy Fabritius recommends, "If you're renewing your certification during the transition period, you can stick to the new controls to avoid putting it off until the last minute."

Sources: ISO, SGS

The Swiss Chamber of Estate Agents is one of five professional chambers of the Swiss Association of the Real Estate Industry (SVIT), the SVIT five. It unites professional, independent brokers who are convinced of the importance of quality in consulting, of the importance of training and further education in the specialist areas and of fairness in the salary model. Admission to the SMK is subject to strict quality criteria. Only those who meet and recurrently confirm these criteria can become members and receive the SMK quality label.

Strict quality management for brokers

"Our members guarantee their customers quality, competence, trust, transparency and consistently rule out conflicts of interest," says Ruedi Tanner, President of SMK. "In a market where a wide variety of sales intermediaries vie for the favor of sellers, we create orientation with our quality claim as market leader." Over 120 members make SMK clearly the largest real estate broker network in Switzerland. "The continuous increase in membership confirms that the strict quality criteria associated with our label are recognized by Switzerland's leading real estate agents as a clear added value in the market," says Tanner.

The Board of the Swiss Chamber of Estate Agents (SMK) is chaired by Ruedi Tanner (Wirz Tanner Immobilien AG) and is further composed of Dieter Mader (Vice President; Früh Immobilien & Partner AG), Kurt Bosshard (Bosshard Immobilien AG), Christian Häle (Sonnenbau Group), Carlos Garcia (Markstein AG) and Marc Wyss (Immobilien Wyss Schweiz AG).

Broker Convention: Successfully Navigating Change

Following the General Meeting, the SMK invited to the Broker Convention 2022. At this important networking event with renowned speakers, the motto "No Time To Lose - Mission Business Transformation" was the focus with the question: How can changes in the real estate industry lead to new successes? Eva Wannenmacher, life coach, André Lüthi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and co-owner of Globetrotter Group AG, and Roman Timm, CEO of newhome.ch, showed in their presentations ways how to successfully navigate through changes personally and professionally.

According to its own presentation, the SMK has successfully established an important information and exchange platform for real estate marketing with the Real Estate Agents Convention. The large number of participants has also shown the importance of the event this year, as the association says.

Source: www.maklerkammer.ch

The greatest challenges in implementing the requirements of the ISO 14001 environmental management standard are found in Chapter 6 "Planning" and Chapter 8 "Operation". 62.5 percent of the companies have findings related to Chapter 6 and as many as 65 percent related to Chapter 8. For about 25 percent of the companies, these findings are deviations. Special attention should also be paid to Chapters 7, "Support," and 9, "Performance Evaluation." For Chapter 9, a total of 55.4 percent (23 percent deviations) of the companies receive findings. For Chapter 7, the total is 42.3 percent (about 11 percent discrepancies). These are - in summary - the results of an audit analysis by DNV, a global and independent certification, safety and risk management provider. The analysis is the second part of a mini-series for which DNV evaluated audit data for the ISO 9001 quality management standard in the first part and audit data for the ISO 14001 environmental management standard in the second part. This was based on 50,000 audit findings from 2021 from more than 10,000 customers worldwide. All data comes from the Lumina™ tool, a digital service that allows customers to analyze and compare audit data themselves.

Chapter 6 "Planning

In Chapter 6, "Planning," it is Subchapter 6.1, "Measures for Dealing with Risks and Opportunities," that causes the most challenges, accounting for nearly 56 percent of the registered findings, the analysis further notes. This is significantly more than in the ISO 9001 (Quality). The results of an earlier analysis of ISO 9001 audit data showed that only about 24 percent of the findings are attributable to this chapter. This difference is mainly due to the specific requirements of ISO 14001: 32 percent are attributable to subchapter 6.1.2 "Environmental aspects" and about 28 percent of the findings to chapter 6.1.3 "Binding commitments".

Chapter 8 "Operation

In Chapter 8 "Operations," the implementation core of ISO 14001, the companies record the highest number of findings overall. No less than 65 percent end the audit with at least one finding of non-conformity. For chapters 8.1 "Operational planning and control" and 8.2 "Emergency preparedness and response", almost 54 percent and 33 percent respectively receive findings requiring improvement.

"The results of the analysis are in line with my experience from audits and trainings," says Beatrice Maier, auditor and trainer at DNV. "It is tremendously important that all requirements are implemented already in the planning phase (Chapter 6). Because if this is not done, weaknesses will automatically arise in the implementation phase (Chapter 8) and the monitoring phase (Chapter 9). An example of this is the requirement in Chapter 6.1 that potential emergency situations must be identified, which must then also be assessed in terms of their risks. Chapter 8.2 requires that for the identified emergency situations, measures to avoid and control the emergency situation must be defined and trained," she explains further.

Further information

The complete Earnings Report can be downloaded free of charge from the website www.dnv.de/assurance can be downloaded. The report presents the findings and deviations per chapter. This gives users an indication of how their own performance compares with that of other companies and where special attention is required. Users can find out how a conscious approach to audit findings can contribute to the ongoing improvement process in a free Whitepaper "10 Tips for Handling Audit Results."

The shortage of skilled workers is currently a major problem, especially in the IT industry. The use of cloud services and IT services can provide companies with crucial support here. The complex management of data infrastructures and database technologies in particular is an ideal application scenario for this. Managed platforms offer users the following advantages:

1. fast deployment

Setting up and maintaining a consistent data infrastructure with databases are time-consuming processes. In particular, setting up the software and configuring all components usually involves a great deal of effort. With Managed Platform models, these tasks are taken over by the provider - as is the implementation and integration of the platform into the company's IT infrastructure.

2. high flexibility

Managed Platform models with a cloud-agnostic approach offer high flexibility and support different operating models. This means they are available in the various deployment options of public, multi-, hybrid or private cloud. Users can thus use the platform with providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google and IBM or in hosting in their own on-premises environment.

3. high degree of automation

Managed Platforms are fully automated. This means that users can scale their resources at the push of a button and also add further services offered by the platform to their data infrastructure. For example, customers can quickly and easily set up and deactivate clusters or change node types and sizes.

4. easy management with central user interface

Managed platform concepts include several managed services that are seamlessly linked by the provider. A uniform, web-based user interface serves as the control center for the customer, enabling him to control all services without any major administrative effort. A central, uniform user interface is of considerable benefit to the user, especially when operating hybrid environments.

5. up-to-dateness of the software

Managed platforms offer the advantage that the software used is always up to date. The provider installs available updates and also takes care of patching and bug fixing.

6. comprehensive monitoring

The monitoring of the services is fully automated, as is the alerting in the event of errors. If a fault occurs in the data infrastructure, the platform fixes it independently. Only in the case of major problems does an expert from the provider have to intervene manually.

Leverage the advantages of Managed Platforms

"The use of a database technology is associated with a high level of complexity. Consequently, it makes sense for many companies to evaluate a Managed Platforms offering as an alternative," emphasizes Ralph Völter, Manager District Sales EMEA at Instaclustr, a provider that helps companies deploy applications on a large scale using its platform for open source technologies such as Apache Cassandra, Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, Redis, OpenSearch, Apache ZooKeeper and PostgreSQL. "Managed Platforms and the provider's associated services offer a decisive advantage: the company's own employees in development and operations are relieved of activities related to administration, so that they can focus more on productive, value-creating and innovative tasks."

Source: Instaclustr

Decision-makers in companies across all industries are increasingly relying on AI to remain competitive today and in the future. But there is still mistrust of a "black box" AI whose models and solution paths are often no longer comprehensible to us humans. This becomes a challenge when engineers have to explain how their models work - for example, when the model is subject to certain regulations or when potential buyers have to be convinced. 

What is explainability of AI? 

This is where explainable AI comes into play. This is a set of tools and methods that can help understand AI model decisions and detect and address any problems with black-box models, such as bias or susceptibility to manipulation attempts. Explainability is essential when engineers need to prove that a model meets certain standards or ISO norms. But it is also about increasing confidence in AI models in general.  

Explainability can help AI users understand how machine learning models arrive at predictions. To do this, they can, for example, track which parameters influence the decision of an AI model and what the influence looks like. But this is not easy, especially with complex models. 

Complexity vs. explainability 

Therefore, the question arises: Why don't we use simpler AI models? Models have not always been complex. A simple example is a thermostat that controls the temperature in a room. If the temperature in the room drops below a certain predetermined value, the heating turns on; if it rises above that value, the heating turns off again. But what about parameters such as time of day, office usage, electricity prices or the weather forecast? How high should the heating be set to be truly efficient and sustainable? Just as modern temperature control in buildings takes many more parameters into account, models have become established in many areas that are many times more detailed and thus more complex.  

These complex models have the advantage that they usually make more accurate predictions. This means that more accurate analyses can be carried out, which in certain cases also provide a faster answer to questions posed. In addition, engineers are working with increasingly complex data, such as streamed signals and images, which can be processed directly by AI models. This can save valuable time during model creation.  

Even though complexity brings all these positive changes, it is increasingly becoming a challenge that models are no longer understood. Engineers must therefore develop new approaches in order to better understand even complex models again and to be able to comprehend calculations.  

Methods for explainable AI 

Using explainable models can provide valuable insights without adding additional steps to the workflow. For example, in the case of decision trees or linear models, decision making is immediately understandable in terms of which properties influence a model and how. 

In order to understand the influence of certain characteristics on the decision, there are certain methods. Through the "Feature Ranking"In this way, it becomes clear which characteristics have the greatest influence on a decision. Subsequently, it must be checked whether the influence of a characteristic changes when it takes on different values. 

Another method is LIME (Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations). Here, an attempt is made to approximate a complex, unexplainable system in the vicinity of a particular data point by creating a less complex, explainable sibling model that produces similar results. In this way, it is possible to find out which predictors influence the decision the most. 

But how do you detect nonlinear dependencies among the input data? Engineers can use "Shapley values" for this purpose. They can be used to estimate how the input data of a machine learning model influence the results. 

When creating models for image processing or computer vision applications, visualizations are among the best ways to assess the explainability of models. For example, methods such as degree CAM and "occlusion sensitivity" can identify those locations in images and text that most influence the model's decision. 

AI beyond explainability 

To successfully use explainable AI, engineers and scientists must also be aware of the challenges that come with it. Finding a balance between explainability, complexity, influence of input data and trust in models is not easy. In addition, it must be clear that explaining a black box and thus gaining the trust of decision-makers or control authorities is only one step on the journey to the safe use of AI.  

The use of AI in practice requires models that can be understood. They must have been created according to a comprehensible process and be able to operate at a level that is necessary for safety-critical and sensitive applications. At this point, experts rely on verification and validation. In this way, they can ensure that a model used in safety-critical applications meets minimum standards. Or they define safety certifications for areas such as automotive or aerospace. Engineers have many tools and options at their fingertips to increase confidence in AI. They shouldn't stop at explainability. 

Conclusion: Explainable AI as a cog in an overall system 

Without question, AI will have a strong focus on explainability in the future. The more AI is integrated into safety-critical and everyday applications, the more explainability will be considered an indispensable attribute of AI models. And everyone benefits: engineers have better information about their models and can find and fix bugs faster. They can explain in a comprehensible way how the models meet certain standards, and this greater transparency gives confidence to both decision makers and potential customers.  

Nevertheless, engineers, subject matter experts, and business decision makers should not forget that explainability is just one cog in a big clockwork and must be used hand in hand - tooth in tooth - with other important methods, tools, and regulations. 

Source and further information: https://ch.mathworks.com/de/

The European plastics industry is facing challenges on a number of fronts. This will also be noticeable at this year's K, probably the most important information and business platform for the global plastics and rubber industry. The plastics trade fair will be held in Düsseldorf from October 19 to 26, 2022, and is regarded as a showcase for all plastics processing industries. 

In packaging, by far the plastics industry's largest market, it has become a victim of its own success as a supplier of the ideal material for disposable applications and people on the move. In construction, some infrastructure projects may be put on hold as governments divert some funding from infrastructure projects to defense, although business is boosted by consumers receiving assistance to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. In the automotive sector, suppliers are suffering from production cuts by automakers - not in response to declining demand, but because they can't get the chips they need for their electronics.

High energy prices weigh on the European plastics industry

Since the beginning of 2019, COVID-19 has had a major impact on production, occasionally positive, but mostly negative. And now, as Europe and the rest of the world are in the process of recovering from the devastating two years of the pandemic, there is the added tragedy of the Ukraine conflict. Commenting on the situation at the end of March 2022, Martin Wiesweg, executive director polymers EMEA at consultancy IHS Markit, said the crisis was not only causing a humanitarian catastrophe but was also weighing heavily on the plastics industry, driving up costs, exacerbating supply chain bottlenecks, including energy supply, and raising the specter of a demand shock as global stagflation is feared. "High crude oil prices have had a negative impact on European plastics demand in the past (see chart)," Wiesweg said. If prices continue to rise, consumer disposable income could plummet, which would impact retail sales. Segments dependent on consumer spending that are not essential, such as home appliances, consumer goods and cars, would fare poorly as shoppers try to save money. "In the short to medium term, Europe could see a decline in demand for polymers."

Germany remains the "powerhouse" of the European plastics industry with its diverse strengths in materials, equipment and processing capabilities. But some sectors are nevertheless struggling. According to the GKV (Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie), the industry's sales increased by 12.6 % to 69.4 billion euros in 2021, but member companies continue to face severe pressure on earnings. In this regard, the association points to an "exorbitant cost explosion" for raw materials and energy, as well as the many delivery delays and resulting order stoppages, especially in automotive supply.

Alarm bells are ringing at Unionplast, the association of Italian plastics processing companies, because of energy prices. "The crisis in energy prices is having a serious impact on an industry with over 5,000 companies and more than 100,000 employees," says Marco Bergaglio, president of the association. "The uncontrolled rise in energy costs and the increasing difficulties in sourcing raw materials are a lethal mix for our industry and pose the risk that we may actually be unable to meet our customers' requirements. This situation inevitably has an impact on the prices of our products."

European machinery manufacturers in good shape

Things are looking better for European plastics machinery manufacturers. Thorsten Kühmann, Secretary General of EUROMAP, the European association of plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers, stated in March that the order books of member companies "are filled to the brim. The current year will therefore be another very good one. We expect sales to increase by 5 to 10 %." However, rising prices and now the war in Ukraine are also causing uncertainty here. Dario Previero, president of Amaplast, the association of Italian manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery and molds, predicted at the end of last year, "According to our estimates, production at the end of 2021 should be within a hair's breadth of pre-pandemic levels, increasing by 11.5 % compared to 2020. The significant recovery in 2021 leads us to expect output in 2022 to be above pre-crisis levels."

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group, a leading manufacturer of extrusion lines, and also Chairman of the K Exhibitor Advisory Board, speaks of an "exceptionally positive" order backlog for the current year. "The extremely high demand for our meltblown nonwovens lines, which have played a decisive role in ensuring that sufficient medical protective masks can be produced worldwide to combat the pandemic - especially in Europe with local production capacities, has contributed significantly to this." Gerd Liebig, CEO of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, a major injection molding manufacturer, also says that overall consumption figures are good. "Nevertheless, the coronavirus situation has had a significant impact on demand. However, we expect a quick recovery due to our strong business strategy." For this company, machine sales are also on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels. "Demand for all-electric models continues to grow, and we expect this share to increase further," Liebig said. And at Arburg, Gerhard Böhm, managing director of sales and service, reports, "We sold more machines in 2021 than ever before - and we also have a good order intake this year." But he also points out that material prices and delivery times are a concern. "It's clear that supply shortages are preventing our customers from investing in some cases, but the demand is certainly there," he says. 

Packaging challenges

The European plastics industry has to deal with various pieces of legislation on plastic waste on an ongoing basis. For example, there is a requirement for 55 % of all plastic packaging in the EU to be recyclable by 2030, as well as a levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste. Some countries are also introducing local legislation (e.g. Spain and France), so the playing field is not as level as it should be.

The industry is already having to live with the consequences of the SEA Directive, some elements of which came into force in most EU countries on July 3, 2021 - although the introduction of the legislation has not been entirely smooth. In Italy, for example, it only came into force in January, so final implementation was delayed. In addition, the definitions of plastic products are more flexible than Brussels originally intended, because while the SEA Directive does not exclude certain biodegradable plastics, the Italian legislation does.

On the subject of bioplastics, the trade association European Bioplastics says: "Unfortunately, bioplastics still do not receive as much support in Europe as other innovative industries do from EU policymakers. The EU Commission has partly contradictory positions on bioplastics. The positions of the member states on bioplastics also vary widely, and the regulatory environment is anything but harmonized. This discourages investment in research and development and in production capacities," it says.

Despite these challenges, the development of European bioplastics is "very positive. Global production capacity still accounts for less than 1 % of the more than 367 million metric tons of all plastics, but by 2026, bioplastics production will exceed 2 % for the first time." Production capacity for bioplastics in Europe was just under 600,000 metric tons in 2021 and is expected to increase to around 1,000,000 metric tons over the next five years.

Recycling on the rise

"New laws and targets for recycling plastics and using recyclate are changing the way the whole plastics industry has to operate," says Elizabeth Carroll, a recycling and sustainability consultant at AMI Consulting in Bristol, U.K., the consulting firm that released a new report on mechanical recycling in Europe. "As a result, the mechanical plastics recycling industry has become a focal point for investment, acquisition and expansion," she says.

In 2021, the production of recycled plastics in Europe totaled 8.2 million tons and is projected to increase by 5.6 % per year through 2030. This compares to 35.6 million tons of standard plastics that entered the waste stream in 2021. "This means that Europe as a whole has reached a plastics recycling rate of 23.1 %," Carroll says. This figure will most likely increase as the plastics industry makes extensive investments in various recycling technologies.

Sometimes, however, it is an uphill battle as Guido Frohnhaus, Managing Director of Technology & Engineering at Arburg, admits: "As long as recyclates are more expensive than virgin materials, the question arises for every medium-sized company as to why they should use them at the expense of their own profitability. Politicians must set clear legal requirements here, and the EU must not only ban individual plastic products, but also consistently support the circular economy."

Fortunately, recycling technology is making great strides in Europe. Austrian companies such as Erema and Starlinger, for example, are among the leaders in this field, while Amut and Bandera are among the Italian extrusion specialists developing systems for treating film waste. PET bottle technologies specialists Sipa, in collaboration with Erema, have developed the first fully integrated system for recycling post-consumer flakes into bottles for food contact applications. Automated sorting technologies for mixed PCR are also making great strides, with Norwegian company Tomra playing an important role.

Polymer suppliers for the European plastics industry go green

European polymer producers are making great efforts to improve the sustainability of their products. Richard Roudeix, Senior Vice President - Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Middle East, Africa and India at LyondellBasell, one of the largest producers of polyolefins and compounds, explains, "To become carbon neutral by 2050, the industry will need to make a profound change in a relatively short time, especially considering that some technologies to fully decarbonize our processes are still in early stages of development. Currently, high energy costs are squeezing industry profits at the very time the industry needs additional funding to invest in decarbonization."

Polymer suppliers don't quite see eye-to-eye with European policymakers on the transition to a green economy, but opinions are converging. "LyondellBasell believes that alternative government policies and voluntary measures are more effective than pursuing environmental goals through national taxes alone," Roudeix says. He suggests using a fee based on the recyclability of the product to fund infrastructure improvements and plastic recycling programs. LyondellBasell has set a goal of producing and marketing two million tons of recycled and renewable polymers annually by 2030. The company has already launched plastics made from mechanically and chemically recycled plastic waste and bio-based raw materials.

SABIC made similar comments. The company launched certified recycled polymers in 2019, which are produced by upcycling end-of-life plastics. "In fact, however, the demand for recycled plastics is currently greater than the supply," said a representative, adding, "Manufacturers need to find a way to expand supply to bring about real change." According to SABIC, greater regulatory support from governments is needed to help industry players scale up new techniques such as chemical recycling. "For example, it's important that the European regulatory framework recognizes chemically recycled resin as equivalent to virgin resin produced from fossil fuels to increase availability and promote scalability." And at BASF, which like SABIC offers a wide range of plastics for different markets, a representative says, "We expect plastics to play an important role in achieving the EU's net-zero emissions targets by contributing to emissions savings in key sectors such as construction, automotive and food packaging. Globally, we aim to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions. We also aim to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions globally by 25 % by 2030 compared to 2018."

Source and further information: www.k-online.de

In their latest analysis for the years 2020 and 2021, the health insurer Helsana and the German health insurer Barmer use selected examples of care to show that there was no nationwide underuse during the Corona pandemic. The study also compared the course of the pandemic and government intervention: even though the pandemic was similar in both countries, the official orders and government intervention in Switzerland and Germany differed considerably. A chronological comparison shows that Germany took significantly more restrictive measures and maintained them for longer. However, the healthcare systems in both countries proved to be robust.

Initial implantation of knee endoprostheses made up for

Measures by the authorities to restrict non-urgent medical interventions were mandated and adhered to in both the German and Swiss healthcare systems. During the first wave, this led to a marked decrease in knee endoprosthesis implantation in both countries. Compared with the previous year, almost ten percent fewer knee endoprosthesis operations were performed in both countries. More of these operations were performed in Switzerland than in Germany.

Breast cancer screening down slightly

Since 2011, various cantons have introduced breast cancer screening programs. In Germany, all women between 50 and 69 years of age are invited for voluntary mammography screening. During the pandemic, evidence was found in both countries that women of the recommended age between 50 and 69 years were somewhat more reluctant to undergo mammography than in previous years. In Switzerland, a catch-up effect was evident in cantons with screening programs, which began immediately after the lockdown. In the cantons without a screening program, no catch-up effect could be detected.

Vaccinations among children slightly increased during pandemic

The heated debate surrounding vaccination during the Corona pandemic does not appear to have significantly influenced parents' willingness to vaccinate in either country. Among young children, a slight increase was even observed in the recommended basic vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella. This may have been due to the fact that official recommendations had already specified an earlier vaccination age before the pandemic.

Source: Helsana

At virtual booths, the experts of the ConSense GmbH was available to the trade audience for information, questions and intensive exchange. The entire product range of the software manufacturer from Aachen was presented: software for setting up an IMS or QM software, individual modules such as measures, audit or validation management (GxP), the web-based solution ConSense PORTAL as well as hosting services. Live demos presented practical solutions for IMS, audit management and measures management to interested visitors. Current news on training and qualification management as well as eLearning were also available at a separate booth. Finally, participants were able to deepen their QM knowledge in various on-demand webinars.

Highlight of ConSense EXPO: The conference program

According to the organizers, the expert presentations, regularly the highlight of the virtual trade fair, were once again very popular: ConSense, the organizer, recorded well over 1000 attendees at the various live conferences with renowned experts from the QM world, who covered a whole range of topics. Dr. Markus Reimer, business and quality expert, addressed "The Digital Challenge - What awaits us and why we can't wait any longer" in his sought-after keynote. The keynote speech by Dr. Benedikt Sommerhoff, DGQ expert for quality and innovation, on "Leveraging strategically instead of bogging down operationally - how the QM department can achieve more impact for quality" was also a real crowd puller, according to the organizer. Many interested parties also turned up for the presentation by Dr. Bernhard Müller (consultant and auditor specializing in food safety), who provided information on the HACCP concept in the management system. In an interview, quality management representative Denis Dörrich offered an insight into practice and vividly described the introduction of an integrated management system at the Samaritan Foundation Nürtingen.

Exchange, networking, raffle - and highly satisfied trade visitors

The supporting program at ConSense EXPO was not neglected either: In the virtual coffee lounge, the trade audience took the opportunity to exchange views on top industry topics at the round table. Small online Pilates sessions provided relaxation during breaks. And those who found all the puzzle pieces hidden at the EXPO in the competition were lucky enough to win a great prize. The overall concept of the virtual ConSense software fair seems to have convinced once again. Because the participants praised, among other things, the overall implementation of the virtual event, the informative expansion of the presentations as well as the direct and competent answering of their questions. "The numerous extremely positive feedbacks are again a nice confirmation of our virtual event, which has earned its right in the trade fair calendar. That is why we can confirm to all interested parties already today: ConSense EXPO will go into a new round on April 18, 2023," promises Dr. Iris Bruns from the management of ConSense GmbH.

Source: ConSense GmbH

Urs Fischer, CEO of the Swiss Standards Association (SNV), knows that Switzerland has a weighty voice in the standards process in international committees. And not only in the classic topics such as ski bindings, ropeways or mechanical engineering, but also in areas such as leadership principles or management topics. In many areas, it is possible for Swiss experts to participate in standards committees. The Swiss Standards Association (SNV) actively calls for participation in relevant professional groups. The idea is that people with relevant experience define practicable standards, review them and later adapt them if necessary. The Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV) is responsible for managing the development and review processes. It is the hub and provides the link to the international committees.

Standards are not laws

Applied standards are hidden in buildings and infrastructures as well as in almost every product. But what for? Standards enable more efficient production, handling and storage. They lead to better compatibility in technical devices and systems. They also create consumer confidence. After all, applied standards also mean that basic requirements with regard to health, safety and the environment are met. Since standards are reviewed every five years and revised if necessary, they remain up to date. New areas or topics are integrated. For example, adaptations due to digitalization or the forward-looking inclusion of climate change. Trend topics such as blockchain or megacities are included. Social developments such as demographic changes or sustainability issues are integrated into the standards. Overall, standards are widely accepted because they arise from practice and are created for practice. In some cases, however, standards are also referred to in laws. This means that in these cases, standards take on a legally binding character. In all other cases, compliance with the standards is voluntary. This is because they are created by organizations under private law. However, since these work closely with government organizations, standardization is a good example of a successful public-private partnership (PPP), i.e. cooperation between the public sector and private industry.

What does SN EN ISO 9001:2015 mean?

9001 is the number of the quality management standard, the year after the colon refers to the year of publication of the revised version of the standard. If it is revised again, the year is replaced by the new publication date. Each standard is numbered according to this principle.
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. The international association of standardization organizations now represents 165 countries worldwide. The organization is headquartered in Geneva. ISO standards are developed for the global market. Switzerland is a member of this organization and can influence the development of standards via the Swiss Standards Association (SNV).

The abbreviation EN means that it is a standard developed for the European area. In the case of EN ISO 9001, this means that the international standard has been adopted into the body of standards of the EU. The abbreviation SN means that a standard has been developed for the Swiss market. SN EN ISO 9001 accordingly means that the international and European standard for quality management has also been incorporated into the Swiss body of standards. Since Switzerland participates in both European and global standardization, the international or European standards are generally adopted and any conflicting national standards are withdrawn. Special national cases may be mentioned or supplemented in the foreword or annex of the international standards, but the actual content of the standards remains the same everywhere.

The CE marking

The most familiar mark for consumers is probably the CE mark. This was created to identify products that comply with EU legislation. The CE mark is often referred to as a passport to the European single market. With it, a manufacturer testifies that he has taken into account all the specific requirements of EU legislation for the product he sells. Since this, like Swiss legislation, refers to relevant standards, the CE mark also testifies that these have been complied with. In Switzerland, CE marking is not mandatory. However, since the majority of products are also sold on the EU market, it is also widely used in our country.

Anniversary on World Standards Day 2022

Before seventy five years delegates from 25 countries decided in London to create an international organization for standardization. This marked the beginning of worldwide standardization. The purpose of the young organization was to facilitate the coordination and standardization of standards developed by its member organizations. In today's world and modern economy, it is impossible to imagine life without standards; even if they are barely visible to consumers, they operate in the background, and almost everywhere.

Source and further information: Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV)