Upcoming Trade Shows in Germany for Plastics

Germany remains the undisputed leader in Europe's plastics industry, accounting for approximately 32% of the continent’s total plastics production. With dominance in exports, imports, production, consumption and investment, Germany has established itself as a global powerhouse in plastics manufacturing and research. The German plastics industry generates annual sales exceeding EUR 97 billion, supported by 3,510 companies and a workforce of over 421,000 employees. Now let’s further break down the numbers. The sector is divided into three major segments. First, there’s plastics production, which amounts to over 19 million tons per year and sales reach EUR 25 billion across 200 companies and 53,000 employees. The largest segment, however, is plastics processing, which generates EUR 65 billion in sales, with 3,060 companies employing 336,000 workers. Finally, there’s plastics and rubber machinery production, which is a EUR 7 billion industry and consists of more than 250 companies and employing 32,000 people. Germany is at the forefront of R&D in plastics, hosting 75 university and non-university research institutes and competence centers dedicated to polymer and materials research. More than 40 regional plastics innovation clusters foster collaboration between corporations, medium-sized enterprises, and research institutions. These initiatives provide international investors with access to cutting-edge research and development infrastructure. Talk about truly scalable innovations. The country also boasts an extensive plastics-related infrastructure, including 28 chemical sites and modern chemical parks specializing in polymer production and plastics processing. Germany’s superior logistics network integrates state-of-the-art transportation systems with advanced telematics, IT, and telecommunications. Germany is the number one foreign direct investment (FDI) destination in Europe for plastics and rubber industries. Between 2010 and 2020, the country attracted more than 21 percent of all plastics-related FDI projects in the EU-28, reinforcing its appeal as a stable and innovation-driven market.