With just over a year to go, the course has been set for interpack: With the themes of Smart Manufacturing, Innovative Materials and Future Skills, the hot topics have been finalised and reflect the industry's most pressing challenges and innovation drivers. The trade fair is also already fully booked.
interpack 2026 is expecting around 2,800 exhibitors and trade visitors from all over the world. The Düsseldorf exhibition centre will once again be fully booked. However, anyone who missed the registration deadline can still contact the trade fair organiser. There is still movement in the area planning, promises interpack Director Thomas Dohse. „We examine each enquiry individually and try to find suitable solutions.“
The planning provides for a Focussing on the eight main visitor target groups at interpack: Exhibitors with solutions for the food, beverage, confectionery, bakery, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods sectors can each be found in their own areas, making it easier to find your way around. And the extensive area of packaging materials and packaging equipment at the heart of interpack as well as the machines for labelling and marking technology, packaging production and integrated packaging printing will also be brought together in their own halls. In addition, there is the accompanying supplier fair „components“, for the first time with two separate halls.
Hot topics set clear content accents
interpack 2026 focuses specifically on future topics. They form the content framework for Exchange, innovation and inspiration. The Hot Topics 2026: Smart Manufacturing, Innovative Materials and Future Skills.
Smart Manufacturing stands for smarter, more sustainable and more economical production. The strong machinery segment at interpack will be presenting new solutions in areas such as AI-supported systems, robotics, automation, intelligent control, value from data and resource efficiency.
The Hot Topic Innovative Materials focuses on around 1,000 exhibitors in the packaging sector. Highly developed plastics, fibre-based materials and intelligent coatings improve product protection and durability. Monomaterials, bio-based solutions and design for recycling promote recycling and reduce the use of materials.
All this is only possible with qualified employees. Future Skills addresses the changing world of work in the industry. The focus is on qualifications, promoting young talent, digital expertise and the skills required for future-proof processes and technologies.
„The industry is characterised by two key trends: sustainable packaging solutions such as cellulose-based or mono-materials and increasing automation, also in order to reduce dependence on skilled workers in certain areas. At the same time, it is clear that well-trained employees remain crucial. Above all, companies can set themselves apart by offering their employees meaningful tasks that enable them to make a real impact.“
Markus Rustler, President & CEO at Theegarten-Pactec and President of interpack 2026
The trade fair will be accompanied by numerous specials. These include the Spotlight Forum, in which experts discuss current trends in the industry. The Start-up Zone brings fresh ideas and new perspectives to the stage. With Women in Packaging interpack is focussing on female specialists and their role in the industry.
And in 2026, the packaging journal again on all days of the fair broadcast live from the interpack TV studio and broadcast the highlights and trends directly from the exhibition centre to the world every day via livestream with news, exciting interviews and panel discussions in German and English.
Source: Düsseldorf Trade Fair Centre
