Friedrichshafen, Germany — The main themes of Fakuma 2024 focused on efficiency, sustainability and the circular economy, according to Annemarie Schur, project manager for the 29th edition of the trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
The plastics industry is faced with many tasks, especially increasing costs, where all possible levers have to be operated, the only way to manage under hard competition. It means processes have to run in a stable way, Schur said, so that low piece part costs are achieved.
"One is really forced to produce more efficiently," Schur said.
Design for recycling is becoming more important and requires not only better materials, but also new business models, Schur said. All these things require pragmatism yet discussion in a friendly way and in a positive mood during the days spent by exhibitors and trade fair visitors in Friedrichshafen, Schur said.
Schur, from show organizer P.E. Schall GmbH, presented data on this year's exhibitors at the opening news conference. There are 1,639 exhibitors over the 85,000 square meters taken up at the fairground by 12 halls, including 11 exhibitors in the special startup area first introduced at Fakuma 2023.
A total of 778 exhibitors came from outside Germany, representing a 47.5 percent share compared with 44 percent in 2023. The foreign contingent of exhibitors were led by China (160), followed by Italy (142), Switzerland (81), Austria (75), Turkey (51) and France (49).
Managing Director Bettina Schall referred to the traditional way that Fakuma creates a platform to discuss new products, applications and solutions — but also problems.
"The wind has become stronger," Schall said, "not only in the plastics industry; there are many complex challenges to be mastered."
She referred to a combination of increasing raw material costs, high energy bills, the push for environment sustainability, severe political and economic difficulties, changing politics and the need to manage a severe shortage of professionally trained staff.
"Each one of these challenges is already on its own complex and difficult to manage, but extremely so when all of it has to be done at the same time, but we just have to deal with them," Schall said.
She remained optimistic, however, stating: "We are sure that the days at Fakuma 2024 will contribute to ensuring that constructive approaches will be made step by step. This fair is an excellent opportunity to discuss personally at eye level on how to find possibilities to realize new ideas."
It is an important platform to make new contacts, maintain existing contacts and find new ideas, Schall said. She referred in this context to the second roundtable event, this time on digitalization and whether it is "top or a flop" in plastics processing.
Schall also referred to the "Mold Your Dreams, Mold Your Future" event on Oct. 18, aimed at interesting young people, school children, students and those starting jobs in plastics careers. Participants can enter a lottery to win a Zeppelin balloon flight for two.
Guest speaker Michael Braungart of Hamburg, Germany-based EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH spoke about applying his mission of cradle-to-cradle design to the plastics industry.