Innovation meets sustainability: At K 2025, companies from around the world demonstrated how digitalization, the circular economy, and new technologies are advancing the industry.
After eight intensive days of trade fairs, K 2025 ended on October 15, 2025 in Düsseldorf with great success. Despite challenging global economic conditions, there was a noticeably positive mood on the exhibition grounds. The plastics and rubber industry presented itself as innovative, international and determined as never before to actively shape the change towards more sustainability, digitalization and social responsibility. Numerous companies from North Rhine-Westphalia showcased their latest innovations and underlined the region’s role as an important driver of innovation for the industry.
Under the motto “The Power of Plastics! Green – Smart – Responsible”, a total of 3,275 exhibitors from 66 nations showcased their technologies, products and processes along the entire value chain in the 18 exhibition halls and on the outdoor exhibition grounds. Over 175,000 trade visitors from around 160 countries came to Düsseldorf. The number of visitors to K thus remained at a stable level. 73 percent came from abroad, more than a third of them from overseas. China and India were particularly well represented.
The mechanical and plant engineering sector presented modern production systems and live demonstrations that illustrated the interplay between efficiency, precision and resource conservation. Particularly impressive was the high participation of numerous companies from North Rhine-Westphalia, which presented their latest innovations and approaches. They showed how regionally developed technologies can compete globally while actively shaping the transition to sustainable and digital solutions.
In addition to topics such as recycling, the circular economy and sustainability, the talks focused in particular on digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence and increasing efficiency. It became clear that the industry is working resolutely on solutions for current and future challenges – and is actively exploiting the opportunities offered by innovation and technology.