Career Sunday at K 2025: Focus on skills, young talent and diversity
Frankfurt am Main/Düsseldorf, 30 September 2025 – On 12 October, Career Sunday will be the fifth theme day of K 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. The spotlight will be on the people driving the transformation of the plastics industry. Topics include skills shortages, new approaches to attracting young talent, and the role of diversity in the sector. The day will also feature a Science Slam, where young researchers present their work in an engaging format, and conclude with the launch of the new international networking event Women in Plastics.
How to address the skills gap?
The opening panel at the PlasticsEurope Deutschland stand (Hall 6 / C40, 11:00–12:00 CEST) will examine how the plastics industry can remain competitive in the race for talent. Representatives from industry, HR and academia will discuss which strategies are proving successful – from recruiting technical specialists to exploring innovative approaches in hiring. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Julien Bobineau, Senior Consultant, D² – Denkfabrik Diversität, and Markus Sennefelder, Chief People Officer, bytewerk GmbH.
Panel participants:
- Sofie Dannemann, Packaging Developer, Zott SE
- Kurt Gebert, Managing Director, ALLOD
- Stephanie Krüger, HR Consultant, HRtbeat
Science Slam: Plastics are indispensable!
The Science Slam (Hall 6 / C40, 14:00–15:30 CEST) will bring research from the lab to the stage. Young scientists will present their projects on plastics and waste management in concise, entertaining talks designed to engage the audience.
On stage:
- Simon McGowan, Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts / IfBB
- Marcel Gausmann, Aachen Process Engineering
- Lukas Fehring, Leibniz University Hannover
- Helen Haug, Fraunhofer CCPE
- Kevin Ullman, Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts / IfBB
Women in Plastics – Networking event at K 2025
At 16:00 CEST, Women in Plastics will debut as the first networking event by women for women at K 2025 (Hall 6 / C40). Following a keynote, best-practice presentations and a panel discussion will feature leaders from business and research. The focus will be on practical experience and how greater visibility and diversity can be achieved across the industry. The event will be moderated by Kerstin Sochor, Editor-in-Chief, Austrian Plastics Journal.
Speakers and panelists include:
- Stephanie Kalil, Commercial Vice President Packaging & Specialty Plastics EMEA, Dow
- Miriam Lutz, Manager of Product Management, ARBURG
- Miriam Olivi, President, Women in Plastics Italy (Frigosystem Group)
- Anabel Crespo, Technical Director, AIMPLAS
- Mirjam Mayer, VP Polyolefin Business, LDPE & PECO, Borealis
- Laura Florez Sastre, Director General, ICIPC
- Angelika Huemer, CEO & Managing Partner, Starlinger
- Viviane Papa, SVP HR Talent Management, Evonik
Program overview – Career Sunday (12. October 2025, Hall 6 / C40)
| Date & Time | Speaker/Host* |
|---|---|
| Sun, 11:00 – 12:00 (CEST) | Panel zum Recruiting: Mangelware Fachkräfte? – Wege aus der Recruiting-Krise Speaker/Host*:Sofie Dannemann, Packaging Developer (Zott SE) |
| Sun, 12:00 – 14:00 (CEST) | Expert Talks:Recruiting by Gaming, Recruiting by Diversity, Recruiting Stand-up, HR-Bullshit BingoSpeaker/Host:* |
| Sun, 14:00 – 15:30 (CEST) | Science and Poetry Slam on Plastics and Waste loopwards … ohne Plastik geht es nicht Speaker/Host:*Dr. |
| Sun, 16:00 – 16:15 (CEST) | Keynote: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host*:Stephanie Kalil, Commercial Vice President Packaging & Specialty Plastics EMEA (Dow) |
| Sun, 16:15 – 16:45 (CEST) | Best Practices: Women in Plastics – Best Practices & Success Stories Speaker/Host*:Kerstin Sochor*, editor-in-chief (Austrian Plastics Journal) |
| Sun, 16:45 – 17:30 (CEST) | Panel Dicussion: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host:Kerstin Sochor*, editor-in-chief (Austrian Plastics Journal) |
| Sun, 17:30 – open end (CEST) | Reception: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host: |
The full program of the special show is available here:
https://plasticseurope.org/de/plastics-shape-the-future-k-2025/
About K 2025
K 2025 will take place from 8 to 15 October 2025 at Messe Düsseldorf and is regarded as the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. More than 200,000 visitors from around 160 countries are expected.
Press photos of the special show and K 2025 are available for free download here: https://plasticseurope.org/de/pressemitteilungen/
About Plastics Europe Deutschland
PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V. is the association of plastics producers in Germany. The association is a trade association of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and part of the European network Plastics Europe, with representation in Brussels and the European economic centers and capitals.
Your contact at Plastics Europe Deutschland
Bettina Dempewolf
Head of Communications
+49 171 9713962
bettina.dempewolf@plasticseurope.de
Inkl. Pressefotos der K 2025 Sonderschau „Plastics Shape the Future“