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The date for the next edition of the drinktec has now been finalised. From 11 to 15 September 2028, the Munich exhibition grounds will once again be home to the international beverage and liquid food industry.
The Board of Directors of SIG and Samuel Sigrist have mutually agreed that Samuel Sigrist will step down from his position as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Ann-Kristin Erkens has been appointed interim CEO of SIG Group AG, based in Neuhausen am Rhf, CH. She assumes this position with immediate effect and remains Chief Financial Officer of SIG. The Board of Directors is looking for a new CEO to lead the company through the next phase.
Under the new self-image "Your network for packaging excellence." the Packaging Valley network will be presenting itself at Fachpack. The aim of the trade fair appearance is to make the power of networking visible and the community tangible, to demonstrate innovation potential, to react to current challenges in the industry and to work together with partners, customers and to actively shape the future of the packaging industry together with partners, customers and interested parties.
The long-standing Herma Managing Director Sven Schneller has announced his retirement from the company in the middle of next year. The advisory board of the Filderstadt-based company, which specialises in packaging and labelling technology, has agreed to his request to relieve him of his duties from 1 July 2026.
The Busch Group, based in Maulburg, mourns the death of its co-founder and co-owner Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch, who passed away on 17 July 2025 at the age of 96. The engineer, inventor and entrepreneur founded Busch Vacuum Solutions in 1963 together with his wife Ayhan Busch, with an annual turnover of over 2 billion US dollars.
Heidelberg .
Positive development
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen has made a positive start to financial year 2025/26. Based on the high order backlog from the previous year, sales in the first quarter totalled EUR 466 million, well above the previous year's figure (EUR 403 million). The Europe and Asia regions performed particularly well in this period. The adjusted operating result (EBITDA) also improved significantly to EUR 20 million (same quarter of the previous year: EUR -9 million). At EUR 559 million in the first quarter (previous year: EUR 701 million), incoming orders also laid a solid foundation for positive business development in the post-Drupa year. At EUR -11 million, earnings after taxes improved considerably in the first quarter compared to the same period of the previous year (EUR -42 million). In addition to a rising sales volume and improved production capacity utilisation, the cost-cutting measures introduced had an impact.
PPWR
Clear demand
Associations call for mandatory compostable fruit and vegetable bags. The focus is on the demand for all lightweight plastic carrier bags used as fruit and vegetable bags to be made from certified industrially compostable material in future. "If you want to collect organic waste cleanly, you need suitable and practical collection aids, and compostable fruit and vegetable bags have long since proven their worth in other EU countries," says Katrin Schwede, Managing Director of the Initiative natürliche Kreislaufwirtschaft (INAK). In addition to INAK, the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen, Plastics Europe Deutschland, European Bioplastics, Polykum, C.A.R.M.E.N. and the Nova Institute are also involved. The demand is based on the fact that it has proven to be practicable in other EU countries.
VDMA.
Stable R&D expenditure
From the perspective of companies from the mechanical and plant engineering sector, Germany is still by far the most important location for research and development (R&D). This was revealed by the VDMA's new survey on research and innovation, in which more than 300 companies took part. On average, companies carry out 84 per cent of their R&D activities in Germany. Most companies with fewer than 500 employees concentrate exclusively on R&D in Germany. However, companies with at least 1,000 employees also carry out the majority (around 75 per cent) of their R&D expenditure in Germany. Nevertheless, most companies expect R&D expenditure to remain stable or even increase slightly in 2025. For example, 41 per cent expect R&D expenditure in Germany to remain stable, while 37 per cent plan to increase expenditure. Only 22 per cent expect a decline in R&D expenditure.
Rudolf-Diesel-Medaille.
Clear demand
During the announcement and medal ceremony on 10 July at the MAN Museum in Augsburg, Hans Beckhoff received the Rudolf Diesel Medal in the "Most Successful Innovation Achievement" category, which recognises him as a visionary and pioneer in automation technology. This category is not only about innovative strength, but also about the overall economic impact of the company. The Rudolf Diesel Board of Trustees, consisting of leading technology directors and managing directors of medium-sized global market leaders, sees Hans Beckhoff as a visionary and pioneer who embodies the values of the Rudolf Diesel Medal through his entrepreneurial convictions and strong social commitment. The Rudolf Diesel Medal is one of the highest honours for innovative achievement in Europe.