Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg

What Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg does

Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg KIO e.V. is a member-driven, non-profit industry association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2009 and headquartered at Karlstraße 14–16, Gummersbach, Germany. It coordinates more than 240 member companies across the plastics processing value chain in the Oberbergischer Kreis region of North Rhine-Westphalia — covering injection molding, extrusion, toolmaking, automation, surface treatment, measurement/quality control, packaging, and logistics. KIO's stated positioning is 'Kunststoffstandort Nr. 1 in NRW' (Plastics Location No. 1 in NRW), and the association enables members to offer integrated 'Idee rein – Produkt raus' (idea in – product out) solutions sourced from the regional cluster.

The association does not manufacture products. Its core platform comprises a 'Wer kann was?' directory indexing 180+ service and technology categories, specialised Stammtisch roundtables for HR, QM, and Technology professionals, joint trade fair participation (notably KUTENO), coordinated R&D with TH Köln Campus Gummersbach's Polymer Laboratory, and a dedicated apprenticeship portal (kio-your-future.de) spanning over 40 training occupations. Member companies independently commercialise their own products; KIO's role is limited to facilitation, capability-mapping, and workforce development across the cluster.

Revenue is derived entirely from membership fees paid by member companies; pricing is not publicly disclosed and no external funding or parent-company support is reported. Governance rests with Managing Director Tobias Wieber, Chairman Frank Barlog, and Deputy Chairs Simone Lake and Carsten Pies, with strategic collaboration from the Oberbergischer Kreis Wirtschaftsförderung, TH Köln, zdi networks, and Bergischer Abfallwirtschaftsverband on circular-economy initiatives.

Name

Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg

Legal name

Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg KIO e.V.

Website

https://kio-oberberg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg KIO e.V. is a non-profit industry association coordinating 240+ member companies across the plastics processing value chain in Germany's Oberberg region via networking, joint R&D, talent development, and shared trade fair presence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gummersbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: KIO e.V. operates as an association funded by membership fees from companies in the plastics value chain. The association provides services including networking, joint trade fair appearances, R&D coordination, talent recruitment programs, and specialized Stammtisch events for member benefit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KIO e.V. is a member-driven industry association that brings together plastics-processing companies in the Oberberg region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its core offering to members is coordinated industry-networking services: joint R&D projects, talent and apprenticeship recruitment via the kio-your-future.de portal, shared trade fair presence (e.g., KUTENO), specialized Stammtisch events for HR, QM, and Technology professionals, and a 'Wer kann was?' member directory listing 180+ service/technology categories that enables customers to source complete plastics solutions from the regional cluster.

Product overview

Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg KIO e.V. is a business network and industry association of leading plastics companies in the Oberberg region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, founded in 2009. Rather than offering a single product, KIO serves as a coordinated plastics value chain network that enables member companies to provide comprehensive solutions from idea to finished product. The network encompasses over 40 specialized service categories including 1K/2K injection molding, 3D printing services, CAD/CAM design and construction, tooling, surface treatment, automation, metrology, and recycling services. KIO does not itself manufacture products but facilitates collaboration among its member companies to deliver integrated plastics solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KIO Member Directory ('Wer kann was?') Online directory of KIO member companies searchable by service/technology category, enabling buyers to locate specialized plastics suppliers across the regional cluster.
• KIO Apprenticeship Portal (kio-your-future.de) Dedicated website promoting apprenticeships and vocational training pathways into KIO member companies, covering 40+ training occupations for young talent and job seekers.
• Stammtisch Networking Events (HR, QM, Technology) Recurring specialist roundtables organized by KIO for HR, Quality Management (QM), and Technology professionals from member companies to exchange knowledge and best practices.
• Joint Trade Fair Appearances (e.g., KUTENO) Coordinated trade fair presence and shared booth organization for KIO member companies at plastics industry exhibitions such as KUTENO.
• KIO Joint R&D Programs Coordination of collaborative research and development projects among KIO member companies, with academic partners such as TH Köln Campus Gummersbach.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Oberbergischer Kreis is recognized as 'Kunststoffstandort Nr. 1 in NRW' — Plastics Location #1 in North Rhine-Westphalia

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oberbergischer Kreis WirtschaftsförderungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Oberbergischer Kreis economic development agency (Wirtschaftsförderung) collaborates with KIO on aktuelles (news and developments), supporting the regional plastics industry cluster. The agency promotes the Oberberg region as 'Kunststoffstandort Nr. 1 in NRW'.
• TH Köln — Campus GummersbachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTH Köln Campus Gummersbach partners with KIO member companies through its Polymer Laboratory (600 sqm, opened March 2017), offering R&D cooperation, student jobs, internships, bachelor/master theses, and multi-year research projects. The partnership is supported by a funded professorship (Stiftungsprofessur) in polymer technology (2010-2015) continued by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Simone Lake.
• Bergischer Abfallwirtschaftsverband (BAV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAV operates the :metabolon innovation site on the former Leppe landfill and collaborates with TH Köln and regional companies on circular economy research, including the :bergische rohstoffschmiede project (2025-2028) which supports SMEs in the Oberberg, Rhein-Berg, and Rhein-Sieg districts in adopting circular value creation approaches.
• KUTENO (trade fair)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIO partners with KUTENO trade fair for plastics processing, promoting the fair on its website and organizing joint appearances for member companies.
• zdi Zentrum ( Zukunft durch Innovation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe zdi network ('Zukunft durch Innovation') in Oberberg partners with KIO through the GM-plastics initiative to attract young people to the plastics industry via emotions and practical relevance, working with regional schools and educational institutions.
• Oberbergischer KreiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Oberbergischer Kreis local government is a member of KIO and actively promotes the region as a leading plastics industry location with 600 companies employing 32,000 workers. The district supports education initiatives including InvestMINT Oberberg, 'Haus der kleinen Forscher' for kindergartens, and the GM-plastics youth attraction program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart: Regional economic development agency for the Stuttgart region. Comparable as a regional cluster promotion and economic development organization, but operating in a different German region (Baden-Württemberg) with a broader industry focus.

Broad incumbents

• VDI – Verein Deutscher Ingenieure: Germany's largest engineering association. Comparable as a German membership organization delivering networking, standards, and continuing education, but with much broader engineering scope beyond plastics.
• BDI – Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie: Federation of German industries. Comparable as a membership-driven advocacy and networking body representing industrial members, but with cross-industry scope far beyond plastics.
• Bayern Innovativ GmbH: Bavarian state-funded innovation and cluster management organization. Comparable as a regional cluster/network operator coordinating member companies, R&D, and innovation services — but across multiple technology sectors rather than a single industry.

Direct peers

• PlasticsEurope: European trade association representing plastics producers. Operates the same membership-driven advocacy and networking model as KIO, but at EU-wide scope covering the full plastics value chain.
• GKV – Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie: German peak association for plastics processors. Direct counterpart to KIO at the national level, representing the same plastics processing constituency on industry policy, talent, and innovation.
• European Plastics Converters (EUPC): European federation of plastics converting industry associations. Comparable structure to KIO as an umbrella body coordinating national plastics processing member associations across Europe.
• pro-K Industrieverband Halbzeuge und Konsumprodukte aus Kunststoff: German industry association for semi-finished plastics and consumer products. Comparable membership-based structure representing plastics industry members on standards, advocacy, and networking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCy_svEHdMSzgW9Y7Dr4tCJA
• Facebookfacebook.com/kio.oberberg
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/kunststoff-initiative-oberberg-kio-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/kio_your_future

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kunststoff Initiative Oberberg