Extrusion International 2-2023

9 Extrusion International 2/2023 Fakuma 2023 – It’s filling up at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Centre  The 28th Fakuma international trade fair for plas - tics processing will take place from the 17th through the 21st of October, 2023. Innovations from the fields of in- jection moulding, extrusion technology, thermoform- ing and 3D printing will be at the centre of attention. The internationally trade fair brings the entire plastics industry together. This top event is a technology sign- post for plastics production and processing and will highlight further solutions dealing with the issues of sustainability, circular economy and recycling. At the end of January 2023, trade fair promoters P. E. Schall had already registered 1169 exhibitors from 38 countries. “Halls A1 to A7 and B1 to B5, as well as the east and west foyer areas, including the east con- course, are nearly full,” reports Fakuma project manag- er Annemarie Schur. “We’re very pleased to announce that nine months before the trade fair begins, it’s be- coming apparent that the halls will be full again at Faku- ma 2023,” says Schur. 42% of the exhibitors registered thus far come from outside of Germany – more than at the last Fakuma in 2021. “One senses the significance of issues like environmental protection and the digital transformation, as well as sustainable and efficient plas- tics processing,” explains the project manager. “Expert visitors can expect to find essential innovations for pio- neering, future-oriented solutions.” Fakuma 2021 once again made it plainly evident that the trend towards digitalisation has accelerated and that future-oriented concepts are being developed in order to establish a circular economy for plastic products. And thus as a recognised business platform for innovations throughout the value creation chain, Fakuma is the ideal setting for presenting new prod- ucts and technological solutions, as well as for discuss- ing forward-looking issues and addressing relevant topics in a concise manner. For example at his technical presentation to an auditorium full of trade press and guest listeners, Professor Dr.-Ing. Martin Bastian, di- rector of the SKZ Institute in Würzburg, pointed out what needs to be done in the industry: “We have to take on more responsibility for what’s happening with plastics. We have to ensure that plastic isn’t just ac - cepted, but rather used with enthusiasm as well. And we have to do a lot more to educate people about its benefits,” says Bastian. As a result, circular economy is one of the major themes of this year’s trade fair. “Once again, Fakuma 2023 will provide a suitable platform for discussing cur- rent challenges faced by the industry and addressing them in a targeted manner,” notes Bettina Schall, man- aging director of trade fair promoters P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG. Expert visitors and exhibitors will meet again this year and conduct discussions on an equal footing at high levels of expertise in an informal atmosphere. Fakuma will demonstrate the indispensability of plastic products against the background of sustainability and the efficient use of resources. Trade fair visitors can look forward to experiencing the extent to which a pioneer- ing spirit and a targeted strategy can be leveraged to produce plastic parts in a competitive, sustainable and digitally networked manner. Preparations for this year’s edition of the Fakuma are running at full bore. As representatives of the entire ex- hibitor community, the exhibitor advisory board is also looking forward to the event. “Fakuma is a technical event that you shouldn’t miss under any circumstances,” explains Rüdiger Dzuban, marketing and sales manager at ONI-Wärmetrafo GmbH in Lindlar, Germany. “We’ll experience the immense value of plastics here, because plastic is a resource and not a waste material,” observes Dzuban. An exhibitor forum with world-class technical presen- tations is once again in preparation as well. “Fakuma 2021 was highly acclaimed and we’ll build upon this in 2023,” says Bettina Schall. “Technological develop- ments give rise to new solutions for current challenges. For this reason, we cordially invite all industry players to the 28th Fakuma to discuss important current and fu - ture issues.” 
P. E. Schall Management GmbH www.fakuma-messe.de