Prof. Dr. Anke Weidenkaff, director of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS, has been appointed to the Advisory Council of the Bundeanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung BAM (English: Federal Institute for Materials Research and Assessment) with effect from November 30, 2020. She will hold the honorary office for an initial period of four years.

BAM is a higher federal authority and is under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Its task is materials research and assessment in order to further shape safety in technology and chemistry. The Advisory Council, which currently consists of 20 members with many years of experience in industry, science or administration in the field of technology and chemistry, advises the BMWi in particular on the strategic direction of BAM. BAM deals with a wide range of topics from the perspective of materials science and technology, including environment, infrastructure and energy.

"The appointment to this expert panel is a special honor for me. I am very pleased to be able to contribute my experience and know-how in materials research. In particular, the topics of resource efficiency and material cycles still pose major challenges for the industry. Materials research can provide considerable added value here in order to improve sustainability and efficiency at the same time," says Weidenkaff.

In the field of environment, BAM's activities aim to do just that: to promote economic growth while at the same time conserving resources and complying with ecological protection targets. BAM's work in the field of environment therefore focuses on the activity fields of environmental pollutants, environmental behaviour of materials and products as well as resource recovery and material recycling.

With the adoption of the national sustainability strategy and the resource efficiency program, the Federal Government aims to increase the efficiency of raw materials and materials. This goal is to be achieved, among other things, by further developing a circular economy using residual materials such as construction waste, ashes, slags and residual materials from industrial production. For the utilization of such residual materials, BAM develops and evaluates mechanical and thermal processes of material separation. This is exactly where Prof. Weidenkaff will contribute with her expertise and know-how from research and development.