At the end of February Krones hosted the OHA! network meeting in Neutraubling, and the blend of practical relevance, fresh ideas and genuine exchange was immediately tangible. The OHA! initiative brought together companies, researchers and regional stakeholders to showcase what sustainability can look like in concrete terms today. The atmosphere was open, inquisitive and full of inspiration.

The programme offered fascinating insights from real-world practice: Martina Birk from Krones demonstrated how consistently the company advances sustainability within its own environment – a behind-the-scenes look that highlighted how diverse and everyday sustainability has become within a global mechanical engineering company.

A particularly engaging moment for the guests was the presentation of the BayWater project by Michael Russ. This Bavaria-wide research consortium is working to close industrial water cycles, reduce freshwater consumption and employ modern membrane and pre-treatment technologies in a targeted way. For many participants the topic became especially tangible thanks to Krones’ role as an industry partner – research and application interlock seamlessly here.

The presentation was complemented by impulses on industrial retrofit as a form of upcycling, on CO2-neutral process energy from biomass and on sustainable energy and climate concepts for companies. The diversity of perspectives made it clear just how broad-based sustainable business has become in Eastern Bavaria.

Around the so-called theme islands where companies and initiatives could present themselves a lively dialogue emerged: from energy transition and energy management to digital and measurable sustainability to research, teaching and reporting – discussions, questions and networking were happening everywhere. Many used the opportunity to take away concrete ideas or even initiate cooperation projects on the spot.

The concluding get-together made one thing very clear: this meeting was more than an information event – it was a true source of inspiration.

In the picture: Michael Russ explains the BayWater project.

Fittingly for UN World Wildlife Day, a Master’s thesis supervised by Krones shows some surprising results.

Within Krones, the guideline “Climate and Environment” defines a central environmental standard under “Biodiversity and Ecosystems”, which states that negative impacts on these areas must be avoided. This objective guides the work of the Corporate Sustainability Team at Krones. But how effective are the measures currently in place? And is there still room for improvement? These were precisely the questions explored in a Master’s thesis completed in 2025. Its results provide us with a meaningful self-assessment and place our own approaches within a broader (industry) context.

Biodiversity protection: not an end in itself

The environmental impacts associated with our line of business – particularly on land, water and soil use – are significantly lower than in other sectors, such as forestry. Because of this relatively low impact, our sustainability strategy places a stronger emphasis on climate and the environment. However, the fact that biodiversity must nevertheless remain an integral part of our corporate strategy follows directly from the Krones target picture. After all, we commit to the vision: “Sustainable and affordable beverages, food and essentials for everyone and everywhere.” And achieving this requires biodiversity protection. Around one-third of global crop production depends on animal pollinators such as insects, birds and bats. Preserving biodiversity is therefore a necessary condition for feeding the global population.

Concrete measures at Krones

The foundation of our biodiversity management is the analysis of potential biodiversity risks at Krones global sites. These risks are assessed using the WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter, which processes relevant biodiversity data and identifies the resulting risks for corporate locations. The assessments revealed that Krones operates its production facilities in areas with low to, at most, moderate biodiversity risk.

Another key aspect of our sustainability management is raising employee awareness. A voluntary internal survey – conducted as part of the Master’s thesis – produced encouraging results: Respondents demonstrated a clear understanding of central biodiversity concepts and recognised the importance of ecosystem services for business continuity – even widespread across the company. This aligns well with the fact that many of the implemented improvements originate from staff initiatives, such as the bird protection measures at the Neutraubling headquarters.

Overall, the insights gained through the Master’s thesis are positive – and even somewhat surprising: Although biodiversity was assessed as “non-material” for Krones in the corresponding analysis, our performance in this area is strong. The risk assessments, combined with employee awareness of the role of biodiversity, form a solid basis for complying not only with current legislation but also with future regulations and market expectations before they come into effect. Moreover, our proactive approach to biodiversity management positions us well compared with other companies in similar industrial sectors. This forward-thinking attitude is especially important in relation to partners, as they increasingly expect transparency regarding biodiversity risks.