At interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf, young companies will once again present new ideas for the processing and packaging industry. In the dedicated Start-up Zone, 22 start-ups will showcase their solutions, and the exhibition area for this part of the show has been more than doubled compared to the previous edition. The zone will be located in Hall 7a, and the entire interpack event, scheduled for 7–13 May, will bring together 2,800 exhibitors from 67 countries.
The start-ups come from Germany, Sweden, India, Portugal, South Korea, Austria, Estonia and the United Kingdom. The range of solutions on display includes bio-based and recyclable materials, reusable systems, packaging for healthcare shipping, as well as software platforms for ESG reporting, PPWR compliance, serialisation and AI-supported operations management. The zone will also feature new approaches in process technology, for example in mixing technology and intelligent platforms for packaging processes.
Extending shelf life and reducing food waste
One of the exhibiting start-ups is Swedish company Innoscentia, which supports the food industry in precisely managing best-before dates. Henrik Nilsson, CEO of Innoscentia, highlights the impact of conservative date labelling on food losses: "Conservative best before date marking confuses consumers and reduces the sales window for retailers, which contributes to the massive global food waste problem. Our sensor technology enables cost-effective quality control for every single package. By displaying the actual quality of the product in real time, we extend shelf life and consumers can make purchasing decisions based on facts."
Nilsson also underlines the importance of regulatory pressure: "Stricter legislation and binding targets set by the European Union for 2030, which aim to reduce food waste by 10 per cent at the producer level and by 30 per cent in the retail sector and among consumers, require new solutions so that the industry can better respond to the stricter legal requirements."
Portuguese company Nanox has developed the Pack Smart method, which aims to extend the shelf life of food through the use of functional additives. These additives inhibit microbial growth and regulate the exchange of gases relevant to product quality. Gustavo Pagotto, CEO and co-founder, explains: "Our solutions are developed in compliance with international food-contact regulations and quality standards, enabling safe and scalable implementation across global markets. By combining material science, regulatory readiness and industrial feasibility, we help reduce food waste throughout the value chain. Interpack is the ideal platform to connect our innovation with global industry leaders driving sustainability, PPWR adaptation and next-generation packaging technologies."
Nanox product
Product protection under growing regulatory requirements
Licopharm develops insulated packaging for temperature-controlled transport of products in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. As explained by Mirko Cyron, Licopharm's Sales Manager: "In our activities we address the challenge of transporting sensitive products safely while reducing the use of plastic and EPS packaging. Our approach combines high-performance, paper-based insulation materials with tailor-made system solutions that ensure stable temperature conditions and are fully recyclable."
The development of this segment is driven by rising sustainability requirements, stricter regulations in pharmaceutical logistics and the growing demand for reliable cold chains for temperature-sensitive products.
Licopharm paper-based insulated packaging
Start-up Evopack focuses on bag-in-box solutions for water-based and perishable products. The objective is to reduce product losses along the value chain, thereby improving cost efficiency and conserving resources. Florian Ebinger, co-founder of Evopack, states: "In light of the PPWR and the tightened Biocidal Products Regulation, reducing the use of preservatives is increasingly becoming a competitive factor. We offer manufacturers a future-proof, regulatory-compliant packaging solution that reliably ensures product safety even with reduced or minimal use of preservatives."
New materials for recyclable packaging
Cell2Green has developed a recyclable and biodegradable cellulose film made from renewable raw materials as an alternative to plastic films. The material is produced without the use of toxic chemicals from cellulose derived from wood or from paper industry waste. This solution is intended for applications where films frequently end up in the environment, for example in agriculture, in bio-waste streams or in consumer-facing packaging.
As explained by Dirk Hollmann, CEO and co-founder of Cell2Green: "Our solution is both recyclable and suitable for sensitive applications where films frequently end up in the environment, such as in agriculture, with bio-waste or in consumer-facing packaging. At the same time, the film meets industrial requirements such as moisture resistance, sealability and reliable processing, entirely without additives."
Cell2Green cellulose film
Start-up Zone as a complement to the interpack offering
The Start-up Zone complements the main interpack exhibition by presenting new technological approaches and business models for processing and packaging. The zone is intended as a space for dialogue between young companies and international decision-makers in the industry, including packaging manufacturers and suppliers of materials, machinery and digital solutions. The programme also includes additional pitch presentations in the interpack Spotlight Forum.
The following companies will participate in the Start-up Zone at interpack 2026:
- Alphacath
- Cell2Green
- easy2cool
- Evopack
- hs-tumbler
- Innoscentia
- JOOYEONG P&S
- KIUD Technologies
- Konnect Packaging International
- Licopharm
- Meadow
- Nanox NNX-Tech
- OMMM Operations Management Solutions
- Packaging Cockpit
- PackIntelX
- PAL Plastik Ambaljsan. ve Tic. A.Ş
- Peerox
- R-Cycle
- Recyda
- Reused Remade
- SeriSoft
- Sykell
