interpack: countdown is on for kick-off

interpack is only weeks away from kicking off from 4–10 May in Düsseldorf. After a six-year break, innovations for food, beverages, confectionery and bakery products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, non-food and industrial goods will be on display during the event, with a focus on digital technologies and sustainable products and processes.

The event will bring together exhibitors from all five continents, representing over 60 countries.

For the packaging sector alone, there will be over 1000 exhibitors focusing on packaging materials, supplies and aids. They will be present in Halls 7 and 7a, 8a, 9 and 10. With sustainability and renewability a focus in the industry, there will be many products and solutions on display regarding that, for example, bioplastics that are biodegradable or biobased, such as those made from sugar cane, palm leaves or corn.

In addition to paper, cardboard or paperboard solutions, there will be other sustainable materials on display in numerous variants. Plastic packaging is still of great importance when considering product safety and shelf life. In this area, there are new approaches towards circularity, such as recyclable films, monomaterial solutions and the use of recyclates or reusable packaging. The increasing digitalisation of the industry is also leading to new developments in the sector, including digital labels, smart packaging and QR codes.

Developments in the packaging sector illustrate issues at the forefront of the processing and packaging industry. Megatrends such as sustainability and digitalisation as well as economic, ecological, political and social changes and challenges will boost the innovation at the event.

With climate change, the aim is to produce as little unrecyclable waste as possible and conserve resources. interpack will showcase sustainable solutions and digital services that will help make production processes efficient and sustainable, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of packaging, improving energy efficiency and making optimal use of reusable materials.

Digital technologies are another factor vital to transformation processes. Big data, augmented reality and remote machine maintenance have long since found their way into assembly shops and machine fleets. For example, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging will be providing information on digital training systems based on virtual reality in the VDMA Technology Lounge in Hall 4. Technologies such as Holy Grail 2.0, RFID, NFC or augmented reality will also increase in the future.

Another focus at interpack is product safety, a core task of packaging. With the industry already making contributions to reducing food waste, digital technologies are key in this area.

For more information, visit www.interpack.com.

Image credit: Messe Düsseldorf/ctillmann