The 30th Fakuma international trade fair for plastics processing is taking shape as a key event for the European plastics industry in autumn 2026. Organised by P. E. Schall, the anniversary edition will be held in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance from Monday 12 October to Friday 16 October 2026. Roughly eleven months before the opening, the organiser reports impressive floor space occupancy and the usual high level of international participation, indicating that the five-day event is again expected to attract a broad spectrum of exhibitors and expert visitors from across the value chain.
Fakuma is regarded internationally as an important meeting place for the plastics processing industry and is considered a trailblazing event in the fields of injection moulding technology, extrusion and thermoforming. Its strong position in the European market makes it a central platform for plastics processing and distribution companies. According to Fakuma project manager Annemarie Schur from P. E. Schall, the upcoming edition is already a dominant topic within the industry well ahead of the opening date. She notes that current registration figures form an excellent basis for staging a world-class, vibrant trade fair including an extensive supplementary programme. New exhibitors are continuously being added, and Fakuma 2026 is set to build on the results of the 2023 and 2024 editions, when nearly 1700 exhibitors participated in each year in Friedrichshafen.
Practical orientation and long-term industry relevance
P. E. Schall underlines the intention to mark the 30th edition as a milestone for the plastics sector. Managing director Bettina Schall states that Fakuma can both look back with pride and forward with confidence, as it demonstrates practical relevance and innovative strength in a distinctive way compared to other events. With comprehensive solutions, complete systems and integrated technologies on display, Fakuma is positioned as a working trade fair where users can find answers to everyday operating challenges in plastics processing.
The development of the event is closely linked to the evolution of many participating companies. Professor Werner Koch, managing shareholder of Werner Koch Maschinentechnik GmbH and member of the trade fair advisory board, recalls his participation in the inaugural Fakuma in 1981, when 39 exhibitors gathered in a single room. According to his account, those early editions involved many pioneers of the industry and led to advantageous orders and long-term business relationships for his company. This historical perspective illustrates how Fakuma has developed over four decades into a large-scale specialist fair with a pronounced focus on applications and process technology.
The organisers describe Fakuma as a communications and technology platform where suppliers and users can discuss specific projects and develop concrete solutions. In this context, Bettina Schall emphasises the guiding principle of P. E. Schall, summarised in the claim that trade fairs make markets. From her perspective, the combination of high practicality and operational relevance constitutes a key characteristic of Fakuma and a central reason for its sustained importance to the industry.
European plastics industry meeting at Lake Constance
Preparations for Fakuma 2026 were formally launched at a meeting of the trade fair advisory board and the organiser in mid-November. At this working session, the board and P. E. Schall initiated planning for a thematically broad and technically advanced programme for the anniversary edition. The advisory board regards Fakuma as a mandatory event for companies active in the European plastics business, describing it as the definitive trade fair in Europe for stakeholders along the plastics value chain.
According to Dr. Friedrich Kastner, owner of Dr. Kastner GmbH and CEO and managing partner of NGA, Collin and BritAS, Fakuma is a hands-on trade fair with a holistic approach and integrative solutions for complete systems. He points out that expert visitors receive focused attention from exhibitors, and that direct contact and face-to-face problem-solving discussions frequently lead to constructive and lasting business relationships. This assessment underscores the event's positioning as a practical work platform rather than a purely presentational show.
In addition to its technical focus, Fakuma is characterised by a strong experiential component. Dr. Christoph Schumacher, director of global marketing at Arburg, notes that key players in the plastics industry regularly gather at Lake Constance and describes the event as a kind of industry festival. This combination of professional exchange and networking is intended to contribute to Fakuma's status as a recurrent meeting point for decision-makers and specialists.
Trade fair advisory board and trade fair organiser give the starting signal for the 30th Fakuma 2026
Working trade fair with a broad technical scope
The organisers describe Fakuma as a working trade fair and hands-on exhibition in which practical expertise is transferred from suppliers to users. The concept is based on identifying solutions, providing answers and implementing projects through mutual exchange between exhibitors and visitors. Rüdiger Dzuban, head of communications and marketing at ONI-Wärmetrafo GmbH, summarises this by saying that at Fakuma things get done. In his view, a trade fair environment is indispensable for demonstrating a company's capabilities and for presenting technical expertise in a way that can generate new impetus in the market.
Fakuma's thematic range covers the entire world of plastics processing. The exhibition portfolio includes injection moulding, forming and extrusion technology, 3D printing, masterbatches and raw materials, as well as tools, process technology and recycling. Both raw materials and processing machinery are represented, alongside peripherals and automation solutions. This spectrum is aimed at supporting plastics processors in addressing current and future challenges while remaining competitive.
The 30th Fakuma will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on each day of the event, from Monday 12 October to Friday 16 October 2026, at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre. In addition to the exhibition, an extensive supplementary programme is planned, including a press conference to mark the opening of the trade fair, a presentation forum with international speakers, a round-table discussion and a Career Friday format. The organisers intend this framework programme to strengthen knowledge transfer, offer additional networking opportunities and address topics such as recruitment and career development in plastics processing.
Schall's broader trade fair portfolio
The Fakuma organiser P. E. Schall is a long-established trade fair company with more than six decades of experience in developing industry platforms. Over 63 years, Schall has established several internationally recognised trade fairs in various industrial segments. These include events dedicated to quality assurance (Control), optical technologies, components and systems (Optatec), stamping technology (Stanztec), automation in production and assembly (Motek), bonding technology (Bondexpo), plastics processing (Fakuma), sheet metal working (Blechexpo) and joining technology (Schweisstec).
According to the organiser, these specialist trade fairs have contributed to the emergence of new markets in their respective sectors. The participants in these markets are characterised by high innovative capability, extensive systems competence and a focus on practical application solutions. Within this portfolio, Fakuma represents the core platform for plastics processing technologies and applications, and its 30th edition in 2026 is positioned as an important reference point for the industry's current development stage.
