The Future of Polymers in Detergents, Cleaning Products and Cosmetics

Dirk Bockmühl obtained his PhD in Microbiology on the molecular pathogenicity of Candida albicans. Until 2010 he worked in the consumer goods industry, where he was responsible for numerous microbiological projects for cosmetics and the laundry and home care sector. Afterwards he changed to the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve, Germany, as a professor for hygiene and microbiology. His research interest is in domestic hygiene, especially in the development of consumer-related test methods for laundry and cleaning, and in the research on biofilms and antimicrobial resistances in the domestic setting. Professor Bockmühl is a member of the scientific advisory board of the Sepawa and a board member of the Division of Detergent Chemistry of the German Chemical Society (GDCh).

Manuela Köhler has been Chief Scientist Feedstock & Formula Science at Beiersdorf since 2022, focusing on sustainable feedstock and ingredient strategies, circularity and resilience. With more than 20 years of experience at Beiersdorf, her background spans cosmetic product development, materials science, prototyping, technology scouting and sustainable innovation.  

Andreas Künkel is Professor and the Head of Biodegradable and Biobased Polymer Research of BASF. The focus of this research is the fundamental understanding of the biodegradation process in different environments and the development of new biodegradable and biobased polyesters and compounds for different applications. After his Ph.D. in microbiology at the Max Planck Institute for terrestrial microbiology in Marburg, he started his BASF career within the Central R&D department, followed by marketing positions for Fine Chemicals and ecoflex® & ecovio® with focus on strategy and New Business Development. Since starting in BASF in 1999, his focus has been the strategic development and marketing of chemicals and biodegradable polymers based on renewable resources using the synergies between classical chemistry and biotechnology. Teaching at the University of Marburg gives him constant contact to the next generation.

Theodora Nikolakopoulou is a Policy Officer at the Directorate General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) in the European Commission. She studied Biology in the University of Athens in Greece and has a PhD in Biological Sciences. She worked as a researcher for 15 years and was involved in several projects studying the occurrence and transfer of antibiotic resistance in different environments. She joined DG GROW in 2018 and since then has been responsible for the implementation and development of the Fertilising Products Regulation, including standardisation, and Detergents Regulation. She also follows the development of other legislative acts relevant to her files, such as the Animal By-Products Regulation, organic production, waste legislations and REACH restrictions.

Adam O’Connell has been Polymer and Formulation Scientist at Reckitt since 2022, working on early-stage research and innovation for formulations across its brand portfolio. He holds a PhD in Soft Matter Physics from the University of Leeds and combines experimental formulation science with molecular modelling to understand complex formulation behaviour.

Yash Parulekar is Director, Sustainability, Stewardship, Government Affairs & Regulatory at MonoSol, A Kuraray Company, a position he has held since December 2023. He has been with MonoSol since 2011 and has held several leadership roles in product strategy, stewardship and sustainability. Since January 2025, he has also served on the Advisory Board of the SEPAWA Legislation-Environment-Consumer (LUV) specialist group.

Gerald Renner joined Cosmetics Europe (previous Colipa) in 1996 and has been Director Technical Regulatory and International Affairs since 2001, giving him 30 years of experience with the association. He holds a doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology from Graz University of Technology.

John R. Shaw has led the direction and growth of Itaconix since co-founding the company in 2008 and has served as CEO since 2018. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and specialty chemical sectors, combining business and strategy expertise with a broad technical understanding. He holds a BA in Economics from Pomona College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.