About Yanir

Yanir holds a B.Sc. in Plastics Engineering from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design and M.Sc. & Ph.D. in Plastics Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He is the former VP of Research and Development of Polyram and is the General Manager of Plastics App- a compounding innovation lab. Yanir is the former president of the Israeli Polymers & Plastics Society, the IPPS, and has taught various courses in polymer processing in the Plastics Engineering Department of Shenkar. Yanir's areas of expertise include Polymer Blends, Engineering Plastics Compounds, Reactive Extrusion, and Green Plastics Technologies.

The title of your presentation sounds very interesting, could you give us a preview on what you will be talking about

My talk highlights the dilemma we face with how to create growth engines via innovation.

We strive for innovation but find it difficult to break the boundaries of traditional compounds - Why?

The answer relies on two pillars. One being that compounders excel in operations, their R&D teams follow those steps.

Creating an out of the box composition, screw design, or testing a property we don’t usually do, becomes almost impossible.

Another obstacle for innovation is the “Not-Invented Here” syndrome. Not Invented Here is the tendency to avoid using knowledge from external origins. Research illustrates a strong bias against ideas from the outside causing organisations to avoid reaching out for external help.

If we acknowledge those two, we can look at it as an opportunity. Collaborating with R&D firms, that could screen and incubate projects until they reach maturity. Once a product is validated to meet quality standards we set, it is ready to be handed back to a larger scale compounder.

Plastics App is doing just this, we’ll be showcasing our approach for innovation and value creation.

Can you tell us about your background in plastics and how you founded Plastics App?

I am a proud Plastics Engineer. I got my bachelor degree in Israel, and Master & PhD at the University of Massachusetts, in the US. This was nearly 20 years ago, and since then I have had several roles in the industry, always around compounding.

Over the years I have gained vast experience in the compounding of Bioplastics, Reactive Extrusion, Long Glass fibres, & Engineering Plastics, and realised that a compounding innovation lab, like Plastics App, can be of great benefit to the industry to access innovation, as well as a great personal challenge for myself.

One thing led to another, and about 10 years ago I established Plastics App. Since then, Plastics App had proven its ability to innovate and create value to our customers as well as compounding firms that benefit from our innovative compounds. A classic win-win.

What inspires you to innovate?

Since Plastics are so widely used, they will always be at the centre of any evolving industry – Automotive, Packaging, Infrastructure and more… - and those industries surely evolve!

We come across real challenges that affect our daily life, and the ability to make change and an influence really inspires me. For example, the global warming crisis calls for many innovative solutions. My personal belief is that multiple technologies need to “explode” in order to “shift the needle”. There isn’t one solution that will address all, or even most of the problem, we must keep on innovating and bring in new ideas.

I believe that innovation grows from the ability to take a technology from one domain into another and this inspires me.

What can visitors expect to learn from your exhibition stand?

Our booth will be showcasing some of our flagship projects. We’ll demonstrate innovation in the field of Bioplastics, Thermal & Electrical conductivity, Textile & Tire recycling, as well as up-cycling of unsorted waste. All are welcome to come and discuss possible collaborations.

Dr. Yanir Shaked will be speaking on Day 2 at the Compounding World Expo Theatre.