IFAT 2026 : Two decades of recycling innovation: A partnership built to last

The collaboration between Styrian environmental and recycling pioneer Komptech and German family company Anlagenbau Günther spans more than two decades. At the start of this year, a new chapter began when Max Günther, representing the next generation of the family business, took over from long-standing managing director Bernd Günther. Far from unsettling the relationship, this generational change has served as a catalyst: the existing cooperation has not only been reaffirmed but also significantly deepened, repositioned for the long term, and expanded in key areas.

Christoph Feyerer, CEO of Komptech, is clear about what underpins the durability of the arrangement. "What unites us is not just technology and the market, but a shared understanding of trust, sustainability and long-term thinking. It is precisely these shared values that form the foundation of our partnership."

Central to the expanded collaboration is so-called star screen technology — a mechanical separation process used to sort waste, biomass, or waste wood by particle size. Both companies are now consolidating their combined development expertise, production capabilities, and global market access in this field, with the stated aim of further extending market leadership.

The division of responsibilities reflects each company’s respective strengths. Depending on the product type, key modules are manufactured at Komptech, whilst final assembly and system integration take place at the Anlagenbau Günther site in Wartenberg. International sales are handled by Komptech, providing the partnership with the global reach to scale its solutions across markets.

For Max Günther, the logic of the arrangement is straightforward. "We are focusing on what we have been doing for decades: developing innovative screening and separation technology and perfecting it technically down to the last detail. Combined with Komptech’s international sales strength and our joint development platform, which brings together the expertise of both companies, this creates a comprehensive package that is impressive both technologically and economically. We are delighted to be further expanding our successful partnership with Komptech, which has lasted for more than 20 years."

The fruits of the collaboration will be on public display in May at IFAT in Munich — the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies, which recently attracted over 140,000 trade visitors. The companies will present a new generation of the Multistar L3 star screen, their latest joint development and a testament to the partnership’s ongoing innovative strength.

The new machine is designed to handle even the most challenging materials, separating them precisely into different size fractions whilst also providing the option to discharge unwanted components such as films or light foreign matter. It represents the practical realisation of what Feyerer describes as the partnership’s core ambition: "to consistently develop technological innovations and scale these solutions globally."

With the transition to the next generation of leadership at Anlagenbau Günther now complete and a shared roadmap firmly in place, the German-Austrian alliance appears well positioned to continue setting the benchmark in screening and separation technology for years to come.