ZVO with new Head of Politics Lukas Hanstein

The German Central Association for Surface Technology ZVO represents the interests of contract coaters from industry and trade, in-house coaters, raw material and process suppliers, system manufacturers, component manufacturers and service providers in German electroplating and surface technology. Its member companies are active in the field of surface finishing with metals or metal compounds from liquid process media. The ZVO is the central point of contact for customer industries, politicians and authorities on economic, environmental, energy and educational policy issues. The ZVO is politically independent and serves the promotion and further development of electroplating and surface technology in political, economic and technical-scientific terms. It is committed to a liberal and social economic order and comprehensive improvements to the framework conditions of its members, whose needs it clearly identifies. Currently, these are in particular the European and German environmental and chemicals policy, the REACH regulation and its review, the energy policy of the German government, the changing framework conditions for medium-sized industrial companies in Germany and the necessary efforts to reduce bureaucracy. The ZVO is supported by a political service provider in Berlin and Brussels, which are relevant for its political work, as well as through cooperation with other industry associations.

New position of Head of Politics at the ZVO

In order to focus and further professionalize this increasingly relevant challenge, the ZVO has expanded its full-time staff with Lukas Hanstein as Head of Politics as of 1 July 2025. In this newly created position, Lukas Hanstein (31) will be responsible for coordinating political issues and necessary activities within the ZVO association committees in coordination with the Executive Board and management, the Environmental and Chemicals Policy department, the ZVO's political service provider and other industry associations. His tasks include the evaluation of existing policy and legislation and the identification and investigation of new topics as well as social, economic and industrial trends. It develops, analyzes and evaluates political options and scope for action in line with the interests of the ZVO and its members. It organizes contacts and appointments with politicians from the working level and conducts its own discussions with political players with a focus on Berlin and, if necessary, Brussels. It also accompanies and coordinates political contacts and activities of the member companies. It develops or recommends alternative, new and solution-oriented political approaches to safeguard the interests of the ZVO, assesses the financial implications and fairness of existing policies in the context of the industry, coordinates and consults with interested parties, for example to identify political needs or discuss options.

Contacts with other industry associations

Lukas Hanstein also establishes and maintains contacts with other industry associations and is also responsible for documentation and writing: Reports, information documents, recommendations for political changes, political and procedural memoranda and their continuous updating. He also prepares speeches and presentations. Lukas Hanstein reports to the Executive Board and management. He has professional experience at UNITI Bundesverband EnergieMittelstand and the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) in Berlin. In his career to date, Hanstein has had intensive contact with environmental and chemicals legislation in addition to his traditional political work in Berlin and Brussels. In recent years, he has also been able to build up sound expertise in classic PR work.