More than 800 exhibitors, 1,250 brands present and the sustainability of packaging as a banner. This is, in very broad terms, what the next edition of Hispack, the great international fair for the packaging industry, is expected to offer, which will be held at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona between the 7th and 10th May. The event, one of the oldest and with the greatest roots in Barcelona, was held for the first time in 1983. Since then, it has come a long way hand in hand with the sector, in a gradual process of growth and internationalization and, now in the most recent editions, a commitment to technological innovation and the transition towards a new circular economy model. On this occasion, Hispack will bring together exhibitors from 28 countries (from Turkey to the United Kingdom through France, Portugal, Italy, China or Germany ) and will occupy an area of more than 36,000 net square meters in pavilions 2 and 3 of the Fira's Gran Via venue. In the words of the president of the organizing committee, Jordi Bernabeu, the 2024 edition is going to be an edition marked by sustainable packaging strategies and solutions “in response to the increase in environmental awareness and commitment”, and also to “meet the objective that The regulations state: that they be recyclable or reusable in 2030. This is a formidable challenge for a booming industry that has just registered a growth of 22% in Spain and reaches 40,409 million euros. In our country there are currently 3,447 packaging companies, mostly SMEs, which employ a total of 118,500 professionals, a figure that represents 5.2% of industrial employment. This booming sector, which has shown capable of growing even in a context of high geopolitical tension, strong inflation and energy and raw material supply problems, it now faces a challenge that will define its long-term future, that of minimizing its environmental impact. Judging by what is going to be exhibited at Hispack, it is a well-directed challenge. The fair will show new trends in materials, eco-design, reuse and recycling of containers and packaging, as well as in robotization, automation and applications of artificial intelligence in the machinery used to manufacture them or integrate them into industrial and logistics processes. The commercial offer will focus largely on these areas of sustainable innovation, also very present in the 80 planned knowledge exchange activities, which will bring together more than 150 speakers. Special attention deserves the Hispack Unboxing space, in which companies such as García Carrión, El Corte Inglés, Almirall, Sisheido, Calidad Pascual and Nauterra will share the progress of their respective strategies to increase the sustainability of their packaging. Xavier Pascual, director of Hispack, highlights that one of the main assets of the fair is its nature as a showcase of sectoral knowledge: “Our event brings together suppliers and customers to share experiences that can be useful to any company that intends to do more. sustainable their containers and packaging”. Follow all the information from Economy and Business on Facebook and xor in our weekly newsletter