Fakuma 2026: Promoting Technologies – Shaping the Future – Connecting People

Five eventful trade fair days full of technological innovations, intensive professional discussions, celebratory awards, and special encounters are behind the international plastics industry. The 30th Fakuma, an international trade fair for plastics processing, took place from October 12 to 16, 2026, as a lively, innovation-driven industry gathering in Friedrichshafen and was a complete success.

The anniversary Fakuma concluded successfully and with enthusiastic mood. Over five days, 1,547 exhibitors showcased new products and developments in plastics processing to the 36,278 trade visitors on the fully booked Friedrichshafen exhibition grounds. Additionally, the trade week was filled with an impressive accompanying program. The final day of the fair marked a highlight with "Career Friday" and the campaign for young talent development, sending a strong signal for the future of the plastics industry. Guided Tours and exclusive insights into technologies and manufacturing processes brought closer to young people the topics of the plastics industry and future opportunities. "The response from all sides was overwhelming," emphasizes Annemarie Schur, project manager of Fakuma at the trade fair organizer P. E. Schall. "Career Friday was a fantastic finale. Many young guests participated with great interest in the various activities. Our thanks go to all companies that, with their support, have shown the way into the future."

Award for Pioneers of the First Hour – First Paul-Eberhard-Schall Medal

Bettina Schall, CEO of the trade fair company Schall, presented a personal award to 12 companies that participated in the first Fakuma in 1981 and are still among the current exhibitors today. This honor was awarded to Arburg, Engel Austria, Getecha, Technotrans Solutions, Hasco Hasenclever, Ihne & Tesch, Kistler Instruments, Werner Koch Machine Technology, Mold Masters Europe, Schuma Maschinenbau, Single Group, and Wittmann Battenfeld. A special award – the first Paul-Eberhard-Schall Medal – was received with great joy by the current CEO of Arburg, Juliane Hehl. Paul-Eberhard Schall and her father Eugen Hehl, then CEO of the world's leading manufacturer of plastic injection molding machines, jointly founded Fakuma in 1981. Thanks to their entrepreneurial and personal cooperation, the two personalities promoted technologies, shaped the future, and connected people. They set milestones and shaped an industry – they founded a unique success story. The presentation of the first Paul-Eberhard-Schall Medal took place atmospherically during the opening of the fair. Prof. Dr. Martin Bastian, Chairman of the Board of "SKZ The Plastics Center" in Würzburg, highlighted in his laudation: "The success story of Fakuma was not born in a strategy paper. It arose through entrepreneurial spirit, trust, handshake quality, through people willing to take responsibility. And therefore, it is only logical that the first Paul-Eberhard-Schall Medal goes to the company that has been one of the closest companions of this fair from the very beginning."

Fireworks of Innovations at the First Fakuma Innovation Award

The first Fakuma Innovation Award, announced by the trade fair organizer P. E. Schall together with the media partner K ZEITUNG on the occasion of the anniversary Fakuma, attracted enormous interest. The goal was to honor technological excellence, innovation strength, and team performance within the plastics processing industry and to present them on a platform of appreciation. An expert jury had to process an overwhelming number of applications and ultimately selected the winners. The award ceremony of this innovation competition on the afternoon of the first trade day was an impressive fireworks display of innovations: a total of 18 companies were celebrated in the third, second, and first places across six categories: Injection Molding, Extrusion, Recycling, Tool and Mold Making / Thermoforming, Compounding and Materials, and Peripheral Equipment.

Strong Start-up Community Especially in the Field of Bioplastics

Throughout the trade days, 18 young companies – the most ever! – showcased new solutions and ideas for the plastics industry in the Start-up Area. Biomaterials were particularly well represented, for example for packaging, household goods, or medical products. Bioplastics made from natural and renewable resources such as algae, corn, or potato starch are biodegradable and recyclable, helping to reduce plastic waste in the environment. As material performance and quality—and thus broad usability—increase, solutions from these young companies are expected to gain traction in the future.

Strong impulses for the future viability of companies were also set by this year's "Round Table on Fakuma." "Strengthening strengths" was the motto of the expert panel on the second trade day, where Eva Söhnlein, Managing Director of the Geiger Group, Dr. Johannes Kilian, Vice President Process and Application Technology at Engel Austria, Günther Klammer, CTO at Next Generation Holding, and Michael Weigelt, Managing Director of TecPart – Verband Technische Kunststoff-Produkte, discussed fields of action. Last but not least, all visitors could benefit from daily technical lectures within the Knowledge Transfer Forum, facilitating exchange of know-how and networking.

"We are grateful and happy to have been able to celebrate this anniversary trade fair with all participants," summarizes Bettina Schall about Fakuma 2026. "It was a wonderful industry celebration with valuable professional discussions and many pleasant encounters. The new schedule with the trade fair running from Monday to Friday received positive feedback. And the familiar and appreciated spirit of Fakuma was also felt this year: thematic relevance, pragmatic orientation, solution-orientedness, and exchange always at eye level. We will continue on this path by promoting technologies, shaping the future, and connecting people. We look forward to meeting again at the 31st Fakuma from October 11 to 15, 2027."