Women in Packaging: Exchange, Inspiration and New Perspectives

Formats such as “Women in Packaging” create space for encounters and networking at interpack. Representatives from communications, automation, logistics and digitalization discussed how the industry is changing and why diversity is a key success factor.

For Lisa Behmenburg, Sales Representative at AXXUM – a company developing packaging and logistics solutions for industrial supply chains – the exchange with others was at the heart of the event: “Especially in this male-dominated industry, support among women is incredibly important,” said Behmenburg. “It’s about far more than simply selling products and services – it’s about empathy and the human side of business.”

Eva Podlich, Communications Director East & Mid Europe at Tetra Pak, also saw significant value in the event. She initially attended out of curiosity – and “for inspiration.” However, it quickly became clear how valuable such networking events are, especially for women in industry: “I think it’s great to regularly ask ourselves from a female perspective: Do we still need this? And this event showed me just how valuable it really is.”

“Energy efficiency is certainly one of the major topics,” said Jessica Giordano, Specialist Public Relations, Marketing & Communications at SMC Deutschland GmbH. Particularly against the backdrop of geopolitical challenges, the industry is looking for solutions to save resources and make existing systems fit for the future. 

New technologies are not the only factor here. Intelligent use of existing systems also plays an important role. Retrofit concepts are becoming increasingly important for further developing production lines without having to replace entire systems.

At Tetra Pak, Eva Podlich also observes how strongly sustainability is currently being discussed: “I find it interesting to see the role sustainability is playing right now – especially at a time when many companies are being driven by external factors.”

Many conversations during the event showed that the industry is slowly changing. Asha Narasimha, Client Delivery Partner at British technology company Spookfish, sees opportunities for greater diversity particularly through the combination of digitalization, robotics and new educational initiatives. She observes positive developments in the UK: “I definitely see more young women entering the industry.”

Particularly in technology and STEM professions, many initiatives have been launched to specifically support girls and young women. However, she added: “There are still subtle prejudices, both against young women and against women over 50.”

Jessica Giordano emphasized how important early visibility of technical professions is. This is why SMC actively supports initiatives such as an annual “Girls’ Day” to inspire girls to pursue technical careers and mechanical engineering.

“It is important that women dare to enter these fields,” said Giordano. Many companies today are far more open than they were just a few years ago. The key now is to raise awareness and break down barriers.

The interpack event made one thing clear: diversity in the packaging industry is no longer a niche topic. It is about new perspectives, better collaboration and making talent more visible.

Or, as Lisa Behmenburg concluded: “It’s about understanding the ways other women think and learning about their backgrounds.”