On 13 May 2026, interpack’s Young Talents Tour, ‘Next Generation’ Spotlight Forum, Career Tour and the VDMA Technology Lounge will offer practical insights, orientation and direct contacts for entry into the packaging industry.
interpack, the world’s leading trade fair for processing and packaging, is focusing on the next generation of the industry on 13 May: the Young Talents Day is aimed specifically at trainees, students and young professionals who want to find out about career paths in the packaging industry. The Young Talents Day is free of charge for this target group.
The packaging industry offers a diverse array of career prospects, from engineering and production to food technology, management and electrical engineering. In response to that, the Young Talents Day creates a central platform on which young people can enter into direct contact with companies and gain insights into different professional and training pathways. Concurrently, the format picks up on one of the central themes of interpack: future skills. Interdisciplinary skills are in demand today – and range from technical understanding and digital skills to sustainable thinking.
First-hand insights
The focus is on practical exchange: participants have the opportunity to meet HR managers and experts from various fields and find out about degree courses, apprenticeships, dual models, internships and trainee programmes. Along the way, it will become clear how broad the spectrum of possible entry routes is: they can be via packaging technology or machine and plant management, for example. Simultaneously, the day will uncover the skills companies will particularly require in the future and how job profiles are changing as a result of digitalization and sustainability.
A practical introduction: the Young Talents Tour
The Young Talents Tour is a key offering. Anyone looking to experience interpack from a new angle will receive a practical introduction here: young industry representatives Melissa, Konstantin, Elias, Luca, Marvin and Tanaro, who are starting out in the packaging industry themselves, will provide insights into their careers and demonstrate what a future in the industry could look like. What is more, the tour takes in companies such as KOCH Pac-Systeme, FAWEMA, Loeschpack, Theegarten-Pactec and Gerhard Schubert and provides insights into current technologies, processes and job profiles along the value chain. The focus here is on dialogue and networking.
Exploring career paths: the Career Tour
The interpack Career Tour is aimed specifically at school pupils who are interested in an apprenticeship. It matches participants with companies that offer apprenticeships and gives them the opportunity to familiarize themselves with entry opportunities directly on site. This will provide an immediate overview of potential employers and career prospects.
Next Generation in the Spotlight Forum
The programme will be complemented by the Spotlight Forum, which addresses the current industry topics that matter to the trade fair. The focus there on 13 May 2026 will be on the next generation. One highlight will be the Science Slam, where young scientists present their research projects relating to the world of packaging in a clear and interactive way.
VDMA Technology Lounge: experience sustainable technologies
With a clear focus on young talent, the VDMA Technology Lounge in Hall 4 will show how sustainability and technology can be combined in practice. In the CirQmind project, young people in particular experience the circular economy and future technologies at first hand: from waste sorting and recycling processes to the manufacture of new products. Interactive applications, workshops and AI demonstrators provide ways to get active and gain an understanding of technological interrelationships. This will crystallise the skills that will be in demand in the future – and demonstrate how these skills can be developed in a practical way during training and studies.
Participation and registration
To take part, you must first register as a Young Talent (with a school or student ID), which will provide you with a free ticket for the Young Talents Day. Participation in the Young Talents Tour and the Career Tour is also free of charge, but requires a binding registration as places are limited.
