The entire world of plastics – plus much more – is on the agenda for the 30th Fakuma which will take place daily from 12th through 16th of October, 2026. The Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre will host an enormous family celebration for five days to mark its anniversary. On the one hand, it will serve as a showcase for the entire world of plastics – from injection moulding, forming and extrusion technology, as well as 3D printing, masterbatches and raw materials, right on up to tooling, process technology and recycling. On the other hand, it will provide a unique platform for communication, discussion, knowledge-sharing, awards and career planning.
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Fakuma Innovation Award Performanceand Competence in Six Thematic Categories
Above all, Fakuma focuses attention on the future, and on solutions that will enable the industry to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. And this is why trade fair promoters are presenting the Fakuma Innovation Award. It’s intended to furnish ground-breaking impetus for the plastics processing industry in technological, environmental as well as economic terms. Companies are offered an international platform on which to present their latest innovations to an interested specialist audience, and to showcase their innovative strength. Entrants can submit their projects in one of the six categories including injection moulding, extrusion, recycling, tool and die making / thermoforming, compounding and materials, as well as plastic technology enablers (peripheral equipment). In this way, the competition reflects the entire value chain for plastics technology – from materials and processing methods, right on up to ancillary technologies. As an important condition of entry, it must be possible to showcase the submitted project live at Fakuma 2026 – as a production-ready product, as a working prototype or as a live demonstration of a technology. Participation is free of charge. Entries can be submitted online up through the 6th of September, 2026. All entries will be reviewed and assessed by an independent expert jury. The winners will be honoured at an award ceremony on the first day of the trade fair.
2026 Highlight: Presentation of the First “Paul Eberhard Schall Medal”
“We’re looking forward to a very special Fakuma anniversary event where professional networking, discussion and knowledge-sharing join forces with the exhibition to create a valuable all-round package,” says Bettina Schall. “Of course we’ll also look back at how it all began 45 years ago. But above all we’re looking to the future and focusing on solutions that will help us tackle the challenges currently faced by the industry.” For example, the third edition of the “Fakuma Round Table” discussion series will focus on the topic of “Building on Our Strengths – How is the European Plastics Industry Enhancing its Resilience?”. The presentation forum will provide suppliers as well as users with inspiring, forward-looking ideas. All in all, the trade fair’s extensive range of topics provides the plastics processing industry with vital support in remaining successful on the market. Last but not least, Fakuma 2026 has yet another surprise in store: “To mark this year’s anniversary edition of Fakuma, we, as the trade fair promoters, will present the Paul Eberhard Schall Medal for the first time to a company that has played a pioneering and influential role in the industry,” says Bettina Schall. “We want to acknowledge the company’s exceptional technological standing in the further development of plastics processing, as well as its close ties to our trade fair
