In the early 1960s, German specialist circles recognised that the development of modern and innovative packaging could be promoted and stimulated through a packaging competition. As a result, the "Deutscher Packungs-Wettbewerb" (German Packaging Competition) was founded in 1963 by the advisory board of the Rationalisierungsgemeinschaft Verpackung (RGV).The first award ceremony took place in the same year and was, from the very beginning, a large and public event. In 1996, the Deutsche Verpackungsinstitut e. V. (dvi) took over responsibility for the competition, which had by then been renamed the "Deutscher Verpackungspreis" (German Packaging Award).
Since 1997, the winners of the competition — which has grown to achieve international significance — have been honoured and celebrated on a grand stage as part of FACHPACK. In non-FACHPACK years, the dvi invites the teams behind the winning innovations to a special industry event in Berlin — as is also the case in 2026.
The Key Facts Today
What emerged 63 years ago as a national initiative has, over the years and particularly since the turn of the millennium, developed into the largest and most materials-inclusive showcase for packaging in Europe. An independent jury of more than two dozen experts, newly assembled each year, personally evaluates all submitted innovations over a two-day session according to fixed and transparent criteria. Companies, organisations, and individuals from both within Germany and abroad are eligible to participate. They may submit products, prototypes, and concepts across all material types in ten categories ranging from design, product presentation, logistics & material flow, digitalisation, and sustainability through to machinery and software. There is a dedicated category for students and pupils, which each year delivers exciting and highly creative solutions.
