FSK Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V.

What FSK Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V. does

FSK Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V. is a registered German non-profit trade association (eingetragener Verein), founded in 1962 and headquartered in Reichenbach/Fils, with additional offices in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Brussels. It represents the German-speaking flexible foam and polyurethane industry - approximately a EUR 10 billion market - spanning raw-material producers (Dow, Covestro, Evonik), machinery manufacturers (Cannon), system houses (PLIXXENT), processors (NEVEON, Bosig, Sekisui Alveo, Getzner Werkstoffe), and converters (Cellwa Soft Solutions, PUR-TEC). Its revenue model rests on two pillars: annual membership dues from industry members, and fee-based services (events, seminars, training) routed partly through wholly-owned subsidiary FSK Services GmbH since 2017.

The association's product surface combines policy advocacy, communications (member magazine, podcast), an awards program, and a growing training catalogue anchored by the EU-mandated REACH diisocyanate training delivered in partnership with eLeDia. In 2025 FSK extended its service surface with the FSKI AI chatbot (a ChatGPT-powered member-service assistant built with external partner S3-Medien), and for 2026 it is launching two additional fee-based seminars: the Polyurethantechnik series with IKT Stuttgart, and "Processing of Polyurethane Casting Compounds" with WEVO-CHEMIE.

Governance is delivered by a volunteer board representing major industry players, chaired since December 2023 by Jörg Arntzen (Dow) following the succession of Albert Manderscheid. Klaus Junginger serves as Managing Director. FSK operates from a small permanent team of roughly 5-6 staff, and is a member of GKV (since 2018) and ARGE Fachverbände, embedding it in the broader German plastics-industry policy network and giving it direct reach into Brussels-level regulatory work on REACH, diisocyanates, and sustainability.

Name

FSK Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V.

Legal name

Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V.

Website

https://fsk-vsv.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FSK is the German non-profit trade association (founded 1962) representing the flexible foam and polyurethane value chain across DACH and Benelux, serving raw-material producers, machinery manufacturers, system houses, and processors through advocacy, REACH training, events, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reichenbach an der Fils

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees from companies across the polyurethane and foamed plastics value chain (raw material companies, machine manufacturers, system houses/formulators, and processors). Fee structure is defined in the FSK Beitragsordnung (contribution order) document.
2. Event and training fees: Revenue from organizing conferences, workshops, seminars, and training courses. Members receive preferential (discounted) rates for all FSK and FSK Services GmbH events. Training programs include REACH diisocyanate training, polyurethantechnik seminars, and specialized workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FSK is a German member-based trade association (eingetragener Verein) that represents the foamed plastics and polyurethane processing industry in the DACH region. It delivers industry advocacy, networking, REACH diisocyanate training, specialist conferences, and innovation awards, and operates a wholly-owned subsidiary (FSK Services GmbH) that organizes events and training programs.

Product overview

FSK is a German industry association (Fachverband) for foam plastics and polyurethanes, not a product company. Its service offerings consist of: the FSKI AI chatbot for member inquiries; FSK-Services GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary that organizes industry conferences and training programs; professional training seminars on polyurethane technology and REACH compliance; the FSK Innovation Award recognizing industry innovation; and regular industry conferences and specialist meetings. These services support the association's core mission of representing the polyurethane and foamed plastics industry in the DACH region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FSK Services GmbH: A 100% subsidiary of FSK e.V. responsible for organizing conferences, workshops, and training services for the chemical and plastics processing industry.
• FSK-Innovationspreis Polyurethane
• FSKI

Products and services

• FSK Membership (Standard & Trial) Annual membership subscriptions for companies in the polyurethane and foamed plastics value chain, including raw material suppliers, machine manufacturers, system houses/formulators, and processors; includes a trial membership option (Probemitgliedschaft) at a special reduced price for one year.
• REACH Diisocyanate Training Mandatory training program for safe handling of diisocyanates, delivered through FSK Services GmbH in partnership with eLeDia, offered as e-learning, in-person, and hybrid formats to comply with EU REACH regulations.
• FSK Fachtagungen (Industry Conferences and Specialist Days) Annual and specialized industry conferences including the International FSK Conference on Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes, Polyurethane Specialist Days, Flame Protection Specialist Days, Sustainability Symposiums, and Converter Network meetings, open to both members and non-members with member discounts.
• FSK Innovation Award (FSK-Innovationspreis Polyurethane und Schaumkunststoffe) Annual competition recognizing outstanding innovations in polyurethane and foamed plastics, awarded in categories including Technology, Design, and Sustainability for students, young professionals, and companies.
• Polyurethantechnik Seminar Series Professional training seminar series on polyurethane technology delivered in collaboration with IKT at the University of Stuttgart, covering fundamentals, processing techniques, and practical applications.
• FSK Services GmbH (Event & Training Operations) Wholly-owned subsidiary that handles the operational delivery of training programs, conferences, workshops, and seminars for the chemical and plastics processing industry, including the REACH diisocyanate training platform.
• KI-Chatbot FSKI

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 80 participants at the 24th FSK Conference (2025), representing raw material suppliers, machine manufacturers, polyurethane producers, and associations.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gesamtverband der Kunststoffverarbeitenden Industrie e.V. (GKV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since January 2018, FSK is an active member of the GKV (Gesamtverband der Kunststoffverarbeitenden Industrie). The GKV provides FSK and its member companies with enhanced information policy, event cooperation, and an expanded network in the plastics processing industry. FSK serves as a sponsoring association (Trägerverband) of the GKV. FSK members also have access to the GKV compliance and code of conduct program with additional compliance certification.
• ARGE Fachverbände (Chemie, Kunststoff, Textil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSK is part of the ARGE Fachverbände network comprising 7 associations from the chemical, textile, and plastics processing industries. The goal is to leverage synergies, exchange ideas and information, and jointly represent interests through their networks.
• FSK Services GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSK Services GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of FSK, responsible for organizing and delivering conferences, workshops, and training programs for the chemical and plastics processing industry. The subsidiary is led by Managing Directors Klaus Junginger and Manfred Werner, the same executives who manage FSK. It provides the operational platform for FSK's REACH training and seminar offerings.
• eLeDia (for REACH training)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFSK Services GmbH collaborated with eLeDia to develop a comprehensive REACH diisocyanate training platform. The platform offers e-learning, in-person, and hybrid training formats. Since August 2023, diisocyanates may only be used in Europe with a valid training certificate, making this partnership critical for industry compliance.
• ISOPA (Diisocyanate Industry Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISOPA is the European diisocyanate and polyol producer association. FSK cooperates with ISOPA on regulatory and safety matters related to diisocyanates, which are central to the polyurethane industry and FSK's REACH training program.
• EuPEFA (European PU Foam Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuPEFA is the European association for polyurethane foam. FSK cooperates with EuPEFA on regulatory and industry matters affecting the polyurethane foam sector.
• VCI (Verband der Chemischen Industrie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSK cooperates with the German Chemical Industry Association on policy and regulatory matters affecting the chemical and plastics industries.
• VDID (Verband Deutscher Industriedesigner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFSK cooperates with VDID, the Association of German Industrial Designers, to connect the polyurethane and foamed plastics industry with design professionals who use these materials.
• BVSE (Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSK cooperates with BVSE, the Federal Association for Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal, on recycling and recovery matters relevant to the polyurethane and foamed plastics industry.
• DITF (Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung, Denkendorf)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 24th FSK Conference (November 2025) featured a guided tour of the DITF in Denkendorf — Europe's largest textile and fiber research center with over 200 employees and a budget of ~28 million euros, conducting several hundred projects with nearly 1,500 partners. DITF provides cutting-edge research insights for the industry.
• IKT (Institut für Kunststofftechnik, Universität Stuttgart)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSK partners with the IKT at the University of Stuttgart to deliver the Polyurethantechnik seminar series (launched 2026). The seminars combine scientific fundamentals with industrial practice at the IKT facilities.
• WEVO-CHEMIE GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSK partnered with WEVO-CHEMIE GmbH to deliver the new seminar on 'Processing of Polyurethane Casting Compounds' (September 2026). The second day of the seminar takes place at WEVO's technical facility in Ostfildern.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EUROPUR – European Association of Flexible Polyurethane Foam Blocks: European association for flexible PU foam manufacturers. Direct peer focused on a narrower PU sub-segment that overlaps with FSK's soft foam and processor members.
• PlasticsEurope: European trade association representing plastics producers, including polymer and feedstock manufacturers relevant to the polyurethane and foam value chain FSK covers. Closest peer in terms of mission, EU advocacy focus, and member base across the plastics industry.
• EuPEFA – European PU Foam Association: European association representing PU foam converters and supply-chain partners. Direct peer in scope and a current cooperation partner of FSK on industry and regulatory matters.
• CPI – Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (American Chemistry Council): US-focused trade group dedicated to polyurethanes, covering performance, regulatory, and sustainability advocacy for the same PU value chain. Closest geographic-complement peer for FSK.
• AVK – Industrieverband Verstärkte Kunststoffe: German trade association for fibre-reinforced plastics and composites. Direct peer within the broader German plastics association landscape; comparable member-funded, event-driven model.
• Industrieverband Kunststoff (IK): German plastics industry association representing plastics producers and converters. Direct peer serving German plastics industry members with overlapping trade-association services.
• Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI): German chemical industry association covering the upstream raw material producers whose diisocyanates, polyols, and additives feed into FSK's processor members. Direct peer with overlapping regulatory and lobbying remit.
• Gesamtverband der Kunststoffverarbeitenden Industrie (GKV): German federation of plastics processors; FSK is itself a sponsoring member (Trägerverband) of the GKV. Direct peer and strategic counterpart serving overlapping processor audiences in Germany.
• ISOPA (Diisocyanate & Polyol Industry Association): European association for diisocyanate and polyol producers. Direct peer on REACH training, diisocyanate safety, and regulatory advocacy — FSK already cooperates with ISOPA on these exact topics.

Others

• DITF Denkendorf – Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung: Europe's largest textile and fibre research center and a research partner featured in FSK's 24th Conference. Adjacent research institution that bridges FSK's industry members to applied R&D rather than competing for members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fsk-e-v-fachverband-schaumkunststoffe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 FSK Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V.