Student excursion to the interpack trade fair - SIMPLY UNIQUE!

Around 30 engineering students had the opportunity to visit interpack in Düsseldorf - one of the most important trade fairs for packaging and process technology in the world.

For many, it was the first time to experience technologies and innovations in reality, not just on lecture slides. Whether high-speed filling systems, sustainable packaging solutions or fully automated handling systems - the range was impressive.

Some companies invited the students on guided tours of their exhibition stands:

• Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co.
• CHOCOTECH GmbH
• Fette Compacting GmbH
• Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Hochland Natec GmbH
• KHS GmbH
• Korsch AG
• Minebea Intec Bovenden GmbH & Co. KG
• ProXES GmbH
• ROVEMA GmbH
• Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co KG and Koch Pac-Systeme GmbH
• Werner & Pfleiderer Food Technology
• Zeppelin Systems GmbH

These discussions with industry experts provided exciting insights. They showed the students how lively and diverse the industry is.

The participation in the 2026 Otto Hansel Award ceremony shall inspire and motivate the students to tackle the challenges of processing technology in their future theses.

Of course, there was still time to explore the trade fair independently and find the particularly exciting stands.

The accommodation in the Duisburg Landschaftspark youth hostel made industrial history tangible. The Landschaftspark evoilved from the Thyssen blast furnace plant in Duisburg-Meiderich, which was shut down in 1985. Blast furnace 5 is now open to visitors and, at a height of almost 70 m, offers a fantastic view over the region.

© L. Berthold

We would like to thank the Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbauer (VDMA e.V.) and the Gesellschaft von Freunden und Förderern der TUD e.V. for their funding, as well as all the companies mentioned for their time and commitment.