Anyone looking to shape the future of packaging machinery in 2026 needs reliable answers to the most important technology and market trends, including modularity, alternative packaging materials, regulation, servitization and AI integration. The Packaging Machinery Conference 2026 bundles these and other topics in a practical manner and across the entire value chain, making Nuremberg the place where questions are translated into concrete next steps on 16 and 17 June. At the centre are decisions that will define product portfolios and competitiveness for years to come.
“Exchange plays a crucial role. Requirements are becoming more complex due to sustainability, circular economy, new materials and regulatory frameworks. And especially when it comes to digitalisation, it is essential to finally break down so-called data silos. No company can solve these challenges in isolation,” says Philip Bittermann, Editor-in-Chief of neue verpackung.
This year, the PMC enters its third edition and will be held for the first time at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. The event is jointly organised by FACHPACK, Ultima Media (neue verpackung) and Packaging Valley, further broadening the platform’s industry reach.
“Nuremberg, as the home of FACHPACK, is a central meeting point for the European packaging industry. The combination of a strong industrial tradition, short distances to leading machinery manufacturers and a practical, innovation-oriented audience makes the location ideal for the Packaging Machinery Conference,” says Bittermann.
The added value of the event lies above all in expanding the network. The community is growing closer together and linking machinery manufacturers, the packaging industry and users more tightly than ever before.
“Machine builders benefit enormously from engaging with packaging producers, brand owners or retailers. Only this holistic perspective leads to solutions that are viable in the market. At the same time, exchange helps shorten development cycles and avoid missteps. When all stakeholders sit at the table early on, decisions become more robust – and that is exactly the understanding we want to foster with the Packaging Machinery Conference,” Bittermann emphasises.
PMC 2026 addresses stakeholders along the entire value chain, enabling a level of exchange that is rarely possible in this density. Experts from the packaging industry, machinery manufacturing and automation, engineers, researchers, designers, decision-makers and users come together to discuss innovative technologies, sustainable solutions and the future of packaging.
“Our event provides decision-makers with the right impulses to become – or remain – leaders in their field,” says Bittermann, adding: “This is also reflected in our agenda, which focuses on strong practical relevance rather than vague future visions. After two days, participants should not leave with abstract ideas, but with concrete approaches that can be translated into projects, investment decisions and roadmaps.”
Machinery manufacturers gain impulses for developing the next generation of machines and discuss strategies for the digital transformation of their companies – whether modularisation, software architectures, data-based services or AI use cases.
Suppliers and component manufacturers also benefit by gaining first-hand insight into the requirements machinery manufacturers place on drives, sensors and control technology. Those who pick up these signals early can prioritise development work more effectively, design interfaces more cleanly and bring innovations closer to real market demand.
Users from FMCG or pharmaceuticals gain insight into technological developments that will shape their investment decisions in the coming years. Crucial here is the direct line to machine builders: companies with specific production requirements can address and discuss them directly – without detours or loss of interpretation.
The strength of the PMC lies in this mix: not just stage and programme, but dialogue. When machinery manufacturers, component suppliers and users jointly discuss convertibility, material diversity, new service models and AI integration, practical solutions emerge more quickly. This is why networking is a fixed element of the event – including informal exchange during the evening format. “At previous editions of the conference, many later project partners found each other,” Bittermann notes.
The Packaging Machinery Conference 2026 thus sees itself as a working platform for an industry in transition. It provides orientation in an increasingly complex environment and creates space for exchange that goes beyond buzzwords. Anyone preparing decisions for the coming years will find concrete points of reference here.
Autor: Alexander Stark, Editor FACHPACK360°
