TH OWL and Plantag Coatings GmbH celebrate 15 years of partnership

The focus of the long-standing cooperation between TH OWL and Plantag lies in the joint use of the Plantag Coatings GmbH technical center. Over the past 15 years, practical courses for the bachelor's and master's degree courses in wood surface technology have been held here. During each semester, students have the opportunity to use the state-of-the-art facilities for the application and curing of coatings in order to best reflect the industrial standard. Plantag Coatings GmbH recently put its new technical center into operation, where various surface treatment processes can be simulated and tested on modern machines. The successful cooperation goes beyond the use of the technical center. Students have the opportunity to complete practical semesters in Germany and abroad at one of Plantag's worldwide subsidiaries. For example, some students spent six months at the company's branches in India. There, they work on specific customer problems on site and learn about the socio-economic diversity of their industry in addition to a wide range of production standards. "This cooperation is an outstanding example of resource-conserving and yet always up-to-date teaching at technical institutions at the TH OWL," says Professor Reinhard Grell, Dean of the Production and Wood Technology Department at the TH OWL. "Without the support of Plantag Coatings, it would not be possible for us to use state-of-the-art technical equipment." Plantag Managing Director Hanno Baumann is also enthusiastic about the cooperation: "The TH OWL students bring fresh ideas and a committed view of our industry. The opportunity to complete internship semesters in Germany and abroad in cooperation with us has helped to integrate international perspectives into our daily work."

"Since the beginning of the partnership with TH OWL, the content of the internships has constantly changed and adapted to the state of the art," emphasizes Jörg Pohlmann, Head of Marketing at Plantag. The trend in surface finishing is clearly moving towards environmentally friendly, solvent-free methods. This is in line with the philosophy of the university, which strives for sustainable research in the sense of an enlightened and environmentally conscious society. As part of the current internship to mark the 15th anniversary of the partnership, students are getting to know some of the technical center's new coating systems. Test samples are coated and cured in seconds using UV technology against the backdrop of real-life issues. Plantag Coatings GmbH benefits from the cooperation with TH OWL on various levels. The graduate of TH OWL Sarito Wolsiffer found his way into professional life through the cooperation. He has been employed as a product manager for several years and now supervises the internships at TH OWL. "The internship opportunities at Plantag are not only a springboard for a promising career, but also offer a unique chance to combine theory and practice in an impressive way," explains Wolsiffer. "This cooperation is a living example of what practical training at our university is all about," adds Professor Grell. This experience is invaluable and shows that even seemingly inconspicuous collaborations have great potential for training the next generation of specialists." Hanno Baumann points out that this sustainable project is a prime example of good cooperation between university and industry.