The 2026 trade fair season for intralogistics and packaging will kick off at Messe Dortmund at the end of February: Logistics & Automation will take place on 25 and 26 February 2026 with an Empack Special alongside the Maintenance and Pumps & Valves industrial trade fairs. A total of more than 370 exhibitors are expected in four closely linked subject areas.
The combination of Logistics & Automation and Empack Special will provide trade visitors from the North Rhine-Westphalia region with a joint platform for intralogistics and packaging solutions - well ahead of many other industry events. According to the organiser Easyfairs, the early date should enable exhibitors and visitors to initiate projects for 2026 promptly and realise potential efficiency gains earlier in the year. At the same time, companies can support their regional sales activities with a live event.
At Logistics & Automation, suppliers want to showcase innovations in warehouse technology, lifting and handling technology, robotics, data acquisition and workplace ergonomics. A test area for exoskeletons will emphasise the practice-oriented character of the trade fair: Visitors will be able to try out the body-relieving effect of various systems for themselves.
At the Empack Special, the focus is on industrial packaging solutions. Exhibitors such as Aisci Ident, Aranco, Beck Packautomaten, Bluhm, Cosack, Engels, Fromm, Jade-Pack, Mosca, Neuhaus Papier, Prodinger, Pulp-Tec, Carton Print Rebil and Wi-Sales cover a spectrum ranging from labelling technology, folding cartons and corrugated board packaging to packaging machines and reusable containers. According to Easyfairs, many of the companies address topics such as material efficiency, recyclability and automated packaging processes.
Synergies with maintenance and process technology
A central element of the Dortmund format is the parallelism of other industrial trade fairs. While Logistics & Automation and Empack Special take place in a joint hall group, visitors can also use the same ticket to visit Maintenance - the leading trade fair for industrial maintenance - and the Pumps & Valves trade fair for pumps, valves and process technology. Easyfairs emphasises that this will create synergies for operators of logistics and production sites in particular: In addition to intralogistics and packaging-related solutions, concepts for maintenance, system availability and process optimisation can also be compared.
Framework programme on AI, PPWR and circularity
According to the announcement, the accompanying lecture programme will combine practical reports from intralogistics and packaging with contributions from applied research, including from Fraunhofer IML and associations. Key topics have already been identified: Artificial intelligence in packaging and intralogistics, the impact of the European packaging regulation PPWR on companies, recyclable packaging as a valuable material as well as ergonomics and making work easier as efficiency factors. The detailed programme will be published in December.
Outlook for Hamburg
The organiser is Easyfairs Deutschland GmbH, based in Munich. In addition to Dortmund, the company is also planning a combined Logistics & Automation and Empack in Hamburg in 2026: the trade fair duo is scheduled for 2 and 3 June 2026 at the Hamburg Messe exhibition centre.
Source: Easyfairs Germany GmbH
