As at “K 2016”, the “Special Show” for K 2019 (www.k-online.com) will be held from 16-23 October in hall 6 and has the motto “Plastics shape the future” (www.plasticsshapethefuture.de). The show is organised by PlasticsEurope Deutschland (Frankfurt / Germany; www.plasticseurope.org) and Messe Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf / Germany; www.messe-duesseldorf.com) and acts as a forum to exchange information, ideas and views.

Both professional visitors and general audiences are expected to attend the show, which focuses on innovations in polymers as well as resource conservation, digitalisation, renewable energy and sustainability. Critical issues such as marine litter, single-use plastic packaging and the use of finite resources for manufacturing are also covered.

The Special Show has seven theme days that include lectures, keynote talks and panel discussions. International experts from science, industry, politics and NGOs will discuss economic, social and ecological challenges and solutions. In this way, what will be presented are global, European, regional and local solutions to current social trends, notes PlasticsEurope.

The programme includes daily demonstrations on robotics – the “FabLab”. Keynote speakers include Markus Steilemann (Covestro CEO) with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) and Mark Nikolich (Braskem America CEO) with the World Plastics Council (WPC).