Year’s End!

What to blog on a year’s end? Do I post a technical subject or a human-interest or organisation theme? Do I write about colour or analysis?

I contemplated on the past year, all that has happened…what struck me most, what stayed with me, what brought a smile to my face?

Of course, the most important is everything to do with my own family and loved ones. Secondly the terrible hardship for the Ukrainian people, the protesters in Iran, the women in Afghanistan, the refugees in Syria and elsewhere… I can’t help but think that there is something quite wrong with (at least a significant part of) mankind. Thank goodness it is still balanced by people, some I may call friends, who do good and represent everything that is beautiful and right in this world.

But my blog focusses on my work within weColLaborate, so what did I experience, what did I observe, what grasped me, what inspired me?

Was it going to the K2022 fair in Düsseldorf along with thousands (!) of other people, reconnecting with “old” and meeting new experts…. Being overwhelmed with all the reliably impressive technological possibilities on material processing from KraussMaffei, Arburg, Engel and Leonard Kurz. Seeing all the colours again from Rowa, Tosaf, Avient, Heubach, Lanxess, and Sun Chemical. Talking about the new and exciting colourant and additive solutions from Eckart, Keeling&Walker, BYK Additives and Milliken. Having my my first ever (!) TechTalk on such an event. Observing the technical high quality colour equipment of Konica Minolta Sensing and BYK Instruments. Or was it just because I again explored this unique event with my, for years, valued friend of J+F Chemicals 👍 

Was it the interesting opportunities of inline spectroscopy techniques for compounding plastics I discussed with Colvistec or Konica Minolta’s Hyperspectral Imaging camera? Or the great dialogues with Ulf Stamach of Orontec on Q-chain® process AI and Wim Pinnoo of Experta Testing on simplifying material analysis?

Or was it the inspiring Edwin Kroon, of Lion Laser, on Biomimicry and LASER “light leading the way”, which took me on a walk down memory lane on my life changing years in the Laser Center of DSM with my wonderful Manager Yvonne Engelen and amazing Olav Aagaard and (the late) Wim van den Elshout.

Was it all the new activities on sustainability from BASF, Lanxess and DSM? Or Bywyd and partners, who  created the beautifully useful Blue Fin chair by upcycling disposable Bluewrap from hospitals. And that the idea of using coffee ground as a filler for plastics, which I saw years ago being used by students of NHL Stenden (Emmen, Netherlands), is now a commercial reality by Colloids (et al.).

Maybe it was discovering the world outside plastics and finding interesting challenges in the world of cosmetics via CNC International, manufacturer of UV gel nails.

Or maybe it was the many exchanges of knowledge with other experts and helping each other, just because we can.

And what will the new year bring? Inspired by 2022, I am looking forward to 2023 with (cautious) hope and all kinds of ideas for Colour and material development, optimising production and laboratory processes,  and expanding the training, learning and even benchmark opportunities on my weColLaborate-platform ‘Knowledge Hub’.

Let’s collaborate on Colour and Analysis. I wish you a peaceful, healthy, happy and colourful New Year!