The European Center for Dispersion Technologies (EZD) in Selb is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Since its opening, the EZD has established itself as an important development partner for industry in the fields of paints, coatings and adhesives and has also expanded its expertise. This event was taken as an opportunity to organize a press conference with political representatives: On September 27, 2024, State Secretary Martin Schöffel, MdL District Administrator Peter Berek and the Mayor of Selb Ulrich Pötzsch visited the EZD in Selb. SKZ CEO Prof. Martin Bastian and EZD site manager Dr.-Ing. Felipe Wolff Fabris were present on behalf of the SKZ.
EZD invited to a press conference with politicians to mark its 10th anniversary
The EZD is a flagship project in Upper Franconia, which was established by Germany’s largest plastics institute, the SKZ Plastics Center headquartered in Würzburg, in close cooperation with industry and with considerable support from the Free State of Bavaria. The original idea for the construction came from several companies in the region. District Administrator Peter Berek (CSU) described the project as a “wake-up call” for the entire region and was impressed by the development of the EZD: “The EZD was established thanks to the great political commitment of our home region, in particular our MP and current State Secretary Martin Schöffel. This shows us that it is worth standing up for our home region – even with ideas that may seem far away at first.” The Mayor of Selb, Ulrich Pötzsch (Aktive Bürger Selb), described the establishment of the EZD as an important milestone in the history of the town and for many businesses in Selb and beyond. “After many years of monostructure, Selb is now also scoring points in the field of science and research, to which the EZD with its range of services fits perfectly,” said Pötzsch.
EZD as a high-performance center with great appeal for the region
The EZD acts as an industry-oriented contact point that companies without their own development capacity can turn to, where new ideas can be tested, employees trained and internal company processes optimized. And it is precisely this transfer from science to industry that has impressed MdL Rainer Ludwig (Freie Wähler). In his welcoming address, he called the EZD a high-performance center with great appeal far beyond the region. “I am firmly convinced that the EZD will continue to set standards in the future and achieve significant progress in technological development. The EZD in Selb thus remains a shining example of excellence in research and development,” said Rainer Ludwig.
Service provider for the local economy
Since its launch in May 2014, the EZD team has already processed more than 1,100 research orders and trained more than 600 participants. This means that many companies benefit from the EZD – both in the region and across Europe. State Secretary Martin Schöffel (CSU), who has been a key supporter of the EZD project from the outset, describes it as a “dream come true”. Martin Schöffel continued: “The EZD is a unique research institute in Europe that focuses on dispersions, surfaces and modern materials. The best thing about it is that it works close to industry as a service provider for the local economy, but also for companies throughout Bavaria, Germany and Europe. Real developments will be advanced here – in cooperation with the local economy.”
Better competitiveness for companies
At the end of the press conference, all participants agreed that the EZD has developed extremely well over the last ten years. And the journey is not over yet. “With its expertise and equipment, the EZD team will continue to support companies in the development and application of innovative inks, paints, adhesives and coating systems. In this way, the EZD helps the industry to bring more innovative products to the market and thus become more competitive,” emphasized EZD site manager Dr.-Ing. Prof. Dr. Martin Bastian, CEO of SKZ in Würzburg, praised the trusting cooperation that has developed in all directions over the last ten years. “The EZD is a success story and a flagship project in Upper Franconia. We are proud to be a part of it and to be able to continue to support this location in the future.”

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