30th Fakuma sets programme for October 2026

The 30th Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing will take place in Friedrichshafen from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026. Alongside the exhibition across twelve halls, the anniversary edition will feature awards, honours, presentations of innovations, discussions and career initiatives. Around 1,600 exhibitors from 40 countries are expected to present their companies and solutions at the event.

The trade fair will begin with an opening press conference at which organiser P. E. Schall will present the Paul Eberhard Schall Medal for the first time. The award will go to a company with a particular affiliation to Fakuma that has distinguished itself through innovations in plastics processing. Companies that were among the 76 exhibitors participating in the event's first edition in 1981 and have attended Fakuma continuously ever since will also be honoured.

Awards and expert discussion

On the afternoon of the first day, the 2026 Fakuma Innovation Award will be presented. The competition was established to promote innovation and provide a platform for forward-looking ideas. Its six thematic categories cover the plastics sector as a whole. Independent experts from academia and industry assessed the submissions according to criteria including the scope of innovation, technical benefits, economic relevance and sustainability.

At 4 p.m. on Tuesday 13 October, the second day of the fair, experts will meet in the East Foyer for the third edition of the Fakuma Round-Table. Under the theme "Building on Strengths", they will discuss possible routes towards a prosperous future for plastics processing companies, taking account of economic conditions, environmental imperatives and social challenges.

The panellists will be Dr Johannes Kilian, Vice President of Process and Application Technology at Engel Austria; Josef Hochreiter, Managing Director of Next Generation Holding; Eva Söhnlein, Managing Director of the Geiger Group; and Michael Weigelt, Managing Director of TecPart, Association for Technical Plastics Products. The discussion will be moderated by Dipl.-Ing. Markus Lüling, Managing Director of Kunststoff-Profi Publishing and Editor-in-Chief of the trade journals K-PROFI and K-AKTUELL.

Career Friday and intellectual property advice

Fakuma will again organise Career Friday on 16 October in cooperation with the trade fair advisory board and PlasticsEurope Germany. The initiative, held under the slogan "Mould Your Dreams, Mould Your Future", is intended for school pupils, students and young professionals. Participants will be able to learn about the plastics industry during guided tours and establish contacts with companies.

The German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) will also provide information at the fair. Two DPMA experts will be available at the exhibition booth on Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October to answer questions concerning patents, utility models, trademarks and designs. Appointments can be arranged during the fair by calling +49 151 6755 2912, in advance on +49 89 2195-1000, or by email at info@dpma.de.

Startup presentations and technology scope

Young companies will present solutions and ideas for the plastics industry in the Startup Area on all five days, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The programme will also include daily expert presentations at the forum.

The exhibition will cover injection moulding, forming and extrusion technology, 3D printing, masterbatches, raw materials, tooling, process technology and recycling. Fakuma is intended as a practical platform for presenting market-ready innovations. The venue in Friedrichshafen is located near the borders of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Air Uniqon offers flights to and from Friedrichshafen Airport.

"We extend a very warm welcome to all exhibitors, expert visitors and interested guests on all five days of the trade fair," says Bettina Schall, Managing Director of trade fair organiser P. E. Schall. "Fakuma’s anniversary edition will be experienced as an inspiring industry celebration with an outstanding supplementary programme. We look forward to seeing you again in Friedrichshafen!"