Covestro has announced its participation in the KOLLEKT research project, which is focusing on developing recyclable product concepts for automotive lighting, mechatronic and electronic components. The three-year project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under the CircularGlowUp funding framework and supervised by the Karlsruhe Project Management Agency (PTKA). The project hopes to solve one of the automotive industry's most pressing challenges: extending materials' lifespan, reducing resource consumption, and creating circular value chains.
Covestro
Covestro joins the KOLLEKT research project
KOLLEKT brings together FORVIA HELLA as coordinator alongside partners BMW, Covestro, Geba, Fraunhofer IEM, Fraunhofer UMSICHT, the University of Paderborn, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), and SW Maschinenservice. The project started in June 2026 and will run until May 2029, with a total BMFTR funding volume of €4.371 million.
Technological hurdles, cost pressure, and insufficient product recyclability have prevented efficient plastics cycles from becoming established at scale. KOLLEKT directly addresses this gap by prioritising "Design for Circularity", ensuring product design is optimised for recyclability from the beginning, complemented by four R-strategies: Repair, Re-Use, Remanufacture, and Recycle.
Covestro will contribute deep expertise in high-performance polymers and sustainable material solutions, working across the full circular value chain. The company’s Makrolon, Bayblend and Apec materials are widely used plastics in automotive lighting applications; bringing these materials back into high-quality use cycles is central to the project's ambition. Covestro will help ensure that material properties, recyclate quality, and end-of-life behaviour are fully considered from the design stage onward.
“KOLLEKT is a prime example of how we create value together with our customers and partners — going beyond material supply to co-designing solutions from the very beginning,” said Monique Buch, Chief Commercial Officer at Covestro. “By aligning early across the value chain with BMW, FORVIA HELLA and other partners, we can embed circularity directly into product development. That is what true co-creation looks like—and how we turn sustainability ambitions into tangible outcomes.”
KOLLEKT aligns with Covestro's strategic commitment to the circular economy. Covestro continues to expand its portfolio of circular solutions, with its post-consumer recycled Circular Intelligence (CQ) product families like the R, RV and RP material lines. The insights generated by KOLLEKT will contribute to meeting EU ELV recycling targets toward 2032 and supporting automotive manufacturers.
“KOLLEKT is a concrete step toward closing the loop on high-performance polycarbonate in automotive applications,” said Guido Naberfeld, Head of Sales and Market Development Mobility at Covestro. “By combining Design for Circularity with advanced recycling technologies and digital traceability, we are demonstrating that sustainability and material performance are not a trade-off. This is how Covestro contributes to meeting the EU's ELV targets and helps the entire automotive value chain transition to a truly circular model.”