Circular economy and waste management meet at Pforzheim University in 2026 for an exchange between science and practice.

Host: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Woidasky, Institute for Industrial Ecology

Background and aims

A key objective of the circular economy is to use products and raw materials for as long as possible with high added value and to return as much waste as possible to the economy as a raw material. The intention is to pursue the goals of the circular economy – protecting people and the environment, conserving natural resources and protecting the climate. Research is of considerable importance to investigate opportunities, trade-offs and to quantify the impact of measures to increase circularity. The central objective of the annual DGAW Science Congress for PhD researchers is to discuss the latest findings from research projects. The DGAW-Science Congress is the largest German language scientific conference in the field of waste management and circular economy.

Promotion of young researchers

The congress is targeted at researchers who are currently pursuing a PhD degree or have recently completed their PhD research. The congress is organized by the DGAW e.V. and supported by a scientific advisory board, which currently comprises around sixty professors. Researchers from all engineering disciplines and related fields working on topics in the circular economy are invited to answer in this CALL FOR PAPERS and to present their work in an oral presentation or as a poster.

Platform for networking

The congress provides an opportunity for exchange of ideas between PhD researchers, professors and practitioners. It serves as a forum for research, policy and industry to get an overview of the current state of research and future developments. The ideal conditions are in place for an intensive exchange over the two days of the congress. This makes the congress a superior forum for exchange between science and society, industry, politics, administration, municipalities and the interested public.

The DGAW-Science Award

The DGAW Science Award will be awarded by a jury of experts in the categories lecture and poster at the end of the event.

Program

There will be presentations and short poster presentations. The contributions will be selected by the scientific advisory board. The number of full presentations with Q&A in the program is limited to 20. There is no limit on the poster presentations, which will be presented by the participants in short pitches and presented in the poster exhibition. The detailed program will be prepared by DGAW and will be announced once the presentations have been selected. The conference will be chaired by the advisory board members.

Applications

Participants can apply for an oral presentation and/or poster presentation. The abstract (one page) should include the following points: Research question, methodology, implementation, results, discussion and conclusions. Submissions can be made in German or English. The congress language is German, but posters and presentations can be held in English as well. The presentations and posters will be announced mid-November 2025.

Please send your abstract and the submission form under the keyword Wissenschaftskongress 2026 by email to: info@dgaw.de.

Deadline of submission: 19th of September 2025. Contact person: Birte Turk (Phone: +49 (0)160-84300071)

Downloads

Flyer Call For Papers, instructions for abstract submission, submission form

Participation fee

The participation fee for the congress is 180 €. This includes catering on both days of the congress, the evening event and the conference proceedings. Participation is free of charge for last year's award winners, including a travel allowance of 100 €.

Registration

We kindly ask all participants (speakers, exhibitors, advisory board, sponsors, other guests) to register via the following link. 

Conference Proceedings

All participants can publish their research topics in the conference proceedings. The contributions for the conference proceedings must be submitted by January 07, 2026. Further details about the proceedings and length of the articles are sent out once the contribution has been accepted.

Organisation

Organizational management: Birte Turk (turk@dgaw.de) in cooperation with Pforzheim University, Institute for Industrial Ecology
Scientific management: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Rettenberger

Sponsors

The DGAW offers sponsors from industry and administration a unique forum to present and to address potential specialists and managers. Contact via info@dgaw.de.

We would like to thank the Scientific Advisory Board

At present, 57 chairs form Germany and Austria are represented on the advisory board.

Scientific management

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anke Bockreis (Univ. Innsbruck)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Faulstich (TU Dortmund)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabine Flamme (FH Münster)
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Greiff (RWTH Aachen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kranert (Univ. Stuttgart)
Prof. Dr. David Laner (Universität Kassel)
Prof. Dr. Mario Mocker (OTH Amberg-Weiden)
Prof. Dr. mont. Michael Nelles (Univ. Rostock/DBFZ Leipzig)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Quicker (RWTH Aachen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Rettenberger (HS Trier)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vera Susanne Rotter (TU Berlin)

Advisory board
Prof. Dr. habil. Christian Abendroth (BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg)
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Heinz Georg Baum (HS Fulda)
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Frank Baur (HTW des Saarlandes)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Burkhard Berninger (OTH Amberg-Weiden)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Carla Cimatoribus (HS Esslingen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Dach (HS Konstanz)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Christina Dornack (TU Dresden)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Silke Eckhardt (HS Bremen)
Hon. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Franke (Fraunhofer UMSICHT)
Hon. Prof. Dr. Henning Friege (Leuphana Univ. Lüneburg, TU Dresden)
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Julia Gebert (TU Braunschweig)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gilian Gerke (HS Magdeburg-Stendal)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Gierend (Universität der Bundeswehr München)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Goldmann (TU Clausthal)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Susanne Hartard (HS Trier)
Prof. Dr. Andrea Heilmann (HS Harz)
Prof. Dr. Christoph Helbig (Univ. Bayreuth)
Prof. Dr. Peter Hense (HS Bochum)
Prof. Dr. Soraya Heuss-Aßbichler (LMU München)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Holländer (Univ. Leipzig)
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. techn. Marion Huber-Humer (BOKU Wien)
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Klett (Kunz Rechtsanwälte Köln, RWTH Aachen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Kraft (Univ. Weimar)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kerstin Kuchta (TU Hamburg)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Achim Loewen (HAWK Göttingen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Anette Müller (Univ. Weimar)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Annette Ochs (HS Wismar)
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Roland Pomberger (Univ. Leoben)
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Arne Ragoßnig (RM Umweltkonsulenten ZT GmbH)
Prof. Dr. techn. Helmut Rechberger (TU Wien)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alfons Rinschede (FH Gelsenkirchen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Salhofer (BOKU Wien)
Prof. Dr. Miriam Sartor (TH Köln)
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Liselotte Schebek (TU Darmstadt)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Helmut Seifert (KIT)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Springer (FH Erfurt)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Stegmann (TU Hamburg)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Iris Steinberg (HS Darmstadt)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Teipel (TH Nürnberg)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Vielhaber (Universität des Saarlandes)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Vollprecht (Univ. Augsburg)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Teipel (TH Nürnberg)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sören Weinrich (FH Münster)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Renatus Widmann (Univ. Duisburg-Essen)
Prof. Dr. Henning Wilts (HafenCity Universität Hamburg, Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH)
Hon. Prof. Dr. Martin Wittmaier (HS Bremen)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Woidasky (HS Pforzheim)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Wünsch (HS Merseburg)