Plastics industry gathers in Kielce for Plastpol`s 30th anniversary

The International Fair of Plastics and Rubber Processing Plastpol wrapped up its 30th edition in Kielce, Poland, drawing 15 000 visitors and 660 exhibitors from 36 countries over four days. The event, held at Targi Kielce, remains the largest plastics industry trade fair in Central Europe and continues to pull in buyers and manufacturers from across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Thanks to Poland’s strategic location and its growing industrial base, Kielce has become a practical and logical meeting point for companies doing business across the continent and beyond.

The exhibition floors were busy with live machinery – injection moulding machines, extrusion systems, industrial robots, and automated production lines all running during the show. Visitors could watch products being made on the spot, including insulin pen caps, medical autoinjector components, lunchboxes, and parts made from recycled and natural materials. The range of industries represented among attendees covered medical, packaging, automotive, electronics, food processing, logistics, and defence, reflecting how broadly plastics manufacturing touches the wider economy.

Business held up despite a difficult market

Despite a broader slowdown in the European plastics market, business activity at the fair was solid. Contracts were signed for machinery, production lines, and raw materials worth millions of euro. Companies including ENGEL, BOLE, Plastline, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, LS Mtron, and several others reported signed orders and new business relationships. Adam Marciniak from ENGEL noted that customers are increasingly focused on solutions that reduce defect rates and keep energy and resource consumption under control – a shift that reflects the tighter margins and higher operational scrutiny many manufacturers are working under.

The general mood among exhibitors was cautious but not pessimistic. The recurring message was that investment in automation, energy efficiency, and recycling is no longer optional for companies that want to stay competitive. Over the course of the fair, dozens of machines and complete processing lines were sold, suggesting that even in a difficult climate, the industry is not standing still.

Three decades of Plastpol celebrated

The 30th anniversary was marked with the Platinum Plast Gala, where companies that have been part of Plastpol since its early editions received “Architect of Success” awards. Among the recipients were Engel, Wittmann Battenfeld, Sumitomo Demag, Grupa Azoty, KGL, and a number of other long-standing exhibitors and industry bodies. A notable moment came when Kamil Perz, the fair’s director for the past three decades, was presented with a special statuette by Targi Kielce management – a symbolic recognition of the work involved in building and sustaining one of Europe’s more significant industrial events over such a long period.

Conferences, regulations, industry knowledge

On the knowledge side, the fair hosted conferences on recycling, EU packaging regulations, and energy efficiency. PlasticsEurope held the European premiere of its circular economy report at the event, drawing considerable interest from attendees looking to understand where regulatory pressure and market expectations are heading. A new addition this year was a dedicated session on Italian polymer and masterbatch solutions for the automotive sector, organised together with Confindustria Polonia.

The OMNIPLAST competition, which tests specialist knowledge among exhibitor representatives, also ran during the fair. This year’s winner was Monika Zuber from Sieroslawski Group, with Tomasz Pyrek of DRP Group in second place and Justyna Przeczek from Polimer Projekt taking third.

Looking ahead to 2027

Planning for Plastpol 2027 is already underway. The next edition is scheduled for 18 – 21 May 2027, and for the first time it will include a brand-new exhibition hall currently under construction at Targi Kielce – over 15 500 square metres of floor space at 15 metres in height. The new space is intended to raise the standard of what exhibitors can do at the fair, both in terms of comfort and the scale of what they can put on display. If the 30th edition is anything to go by, the industry will have plenty to show.

Photos: Targi Kielce