Plastics Live Ireland 2025 | RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland | 26-27 November 2025
Colocated with:
Colocated with:
Colocated with:
The story of Ireland’s plastics industry is one of quiet brilliance. Behind the scenes of some of the world’s most advanced sectors (from medical devices to pharmaceuticals, electronics, and packaging) Irish manufacturers are innovating daily, solving complex engineering challenges, and keeping supply chains running efficiently. It’s an industry that doesn’t often make headlines, yet it shapes lives, products, and economies in profound ways.
As we look to the future, one truth stands out. Innovation is no longer a luxury or an occasional burst of creativity; it is the central currency of competitiveness. The companies that succeed in plastics manufacturing, whether large multinationals or agile SMEs, will be those that continuously innovate, integrating new technologies, sustainable materials, and smarter processes into everything they do.
That is the role of innovation in the future of Irish plastics manufacturing, not as a slogan, but as a strategy for resilience, progress, and sustainable growth.
As the countdown begins to Plastics Live Ireland (taking place on 26–27 November 2025 at the RDS Arena in Dublin) anticipation is building across the UK and Irish plastics industries. This landmark event promises to be a powerful new platform for collaboration, innovation, and growth, bringing together every part of the plastics value chain under one roof.
Far from being just another trade show, Plastics Live Ireland has been designed as a strategic gathering for an industry that is both globally significant and locally vital. It reflects Ireland’s growing reputation as a hub of advanced manufacturing, where plastics form the backbone of sectors such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, automotive, electronics, and packaging.
“Plastics Live Ireland represents a defining moment for the Irish plastics sector,” says Scott Colman, Founder and Managing Director of Plastics Live. “Ireland has built an international reputation for quality, technical capability, and sustainable innovation. We felt it was time to give the industry its own high-level platform, a place to celebrate progress, share ideas, and shape what comes next.”
Sustainability has become the defining challenge of our time, and no industry is more closely scrutinised than plastics. The conversation is often framed around waste, pollution, and restrictions, but to dwell only on those narratives risks missing a critical truth. Plastics are indispensable to modern life, and the way forward is not about turning away from them, but about rethinking how we design, produce, use, and recover them.
For Ireland’s plastics sector, this is both a challenge and an opportunit. The industry sits at the intersection of global supply chains, providing essential components for medtech, pharmaceuticals, automotive, electronics, and packaging. The stakes are high. But with the right approach, plastics can continue to underpin Ireland’s competitiveness while moving decisively towards a more sustainable and circular economy. That dual imperative (growth and responsibility) is what I call sustainable growth, and it is the future of the sector.
The plastics industry in Ireland and the UK is preparing for one of its most important gatherings of the year, as Plastics Live Ireland opens its doors this November. More than just another trade show, Plastics Live Ireland is positioning itself as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and collaboration across the entire plastics value chain.
Few industries are as vital (and as misunderstood) as plastics. From medical devices to food packaging, from lightweight automotive parts to sustainable building materials, plastics underpin the competitiveness of entire economies. They safeguard supply chains, support thousands of skilled jobs, and enable the innovations that make modern life possible. Yet for all its importance, the sector often finds itself under pressure, from rising costs, from global competition, and from debates around sustainability.
Plastics Live Ireland arrives at a pivotal time, providing a forum where the industry can demonstrate its resilience and chart its future. By convening suppliers, manufacturers, OEMs, designers, and innovators under one roof, the event delivers what the sector needs most. Visibility, collaboration, and momentum.
The plastics industry is one of the most significant (yet often underappreciated) pillars of the Irish and UK economies. At a time when the spotlight often falls on technology, finance, or pharmaceuticals, the role of plastics can be overlooked, dismissed as a background material or, worse, a sector only viewed through the lens of sustainability debates. But such a view ignores the reality. Plastics are indispensable to modern economies. They enable productivity, underpin manufacturing, and make possible the very innovations that drive progress in healthcare, energy, transportation, and digital technologies.
As the Event Director of Plastics Live Ireland, I am proud to provide a forum where the sector can showcase its capabilities, address its challenges, and set the agenda for the future. But before we consider why convening such a community is so vital, we must first reflect on why a strong plastics sector is critical to the prosperity and competitiveness of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The inaugural Plastics Live Ireland, taking place in Dublin on 26–27 November 2025, is shaping up to be a landmark event for the plastics manufacturing industries in both Ireland and the UK. Just three months out, the event is nearly sold out, with a strong roster of leading exhibitors and partners lining up to showcase their technologies and support for the sector.
Designed to serve as a platform for innovation, collaboration, and commercial opportunity, Plastics Live Ireland arrives at a pivotal time for local manufacturing. As global supply chains remain under pressure and the demand for near-shoring grows, the UK and Irish plastics sectors continue to demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and an extraordinary capacity for innovation.
The Irish plastics sector has emerged as one of the most dynamic and innovative industries in Ireland. With a strong foundation in manufacturing excellence and a growing focus on sustainability, the market is poised for further expansion.
In recognition of this growth, Plastics Live Ireland has been launched to serve the unique needs of the Irish plastics community and beyond, offering an exclusive platform to foster collaboration, showcase cutting-edge advancements, and drive new business opportunities. As the industry continues to evolve, it is vital that a new, tailored event like Plastics Live Ireland supports this niche and allows the Irish plastics community to take centre stage.
The organisers of the annual UK Plastics Live event are thrilled to announce the launch of Plastics Live Ireland, an expansion of their esteemed portfolio of events. Following the success of Plastics Live in Coventry, UK which runs its third event in 2025, this new addition aims to cater to the dynamic and burgeoning Irish plastics market, fostering deeper connections and promoting innovation within the industry.
Taking place 26-27 November 2025 at the RDS Arena in Dublin, Plastics Live Ireland will serve as a dedicated platform for companies to showcase their latest advancements, network with industry peers, and explore new business opportunities. The event promises to be a landmark occasion for the Irish plastics sector, providing a comprehensive forum for knowledge-sharing, business development, and industry collaboration. Plastics Live Ireland is all about making plastics parts, and as well as looking at traditional plastics processing technologies and services, also focuses on additive manufacturing, Industry 4.0 and the increasingly important area of sustainability.
Welcome to our Exhibitor Q&A series—your backstage pass to the people, products, and innovation driving Plastics Live Ireland. Learn more about our standout exhibitors—their work, what they’re showcasing, and why they’re part of the Plastics Live community.
Stay tuned for more…
PlastikCity will be exhibiting at Plastics Live Ireland 2025, taking place on 26th–27th November at the RDS Arena in Dublin, as part of its strategy to expand its presence within the Irish plastics sector.
As the only dedicated plastics industry exhibition in Ireland, Plastics Live Ireland brings together processors, suppliers, and service providers from across the sector. The event will showcase the latest developments in sustainability, automation, materials, and processing technologies, alongside a comprehensive conference programme covering key manufacturing industries.
PlastikCity’s Will Clarke and Dan Russell will be on Stand D12 to demonstrate how the company’s free procurement platform connects buyers with vetted UK and Irish suppliers. The platform enables users to gather quotes quickly and easily for equipment, materials, and specialist services, ensuring they find reliable partners that meet their production requirements.
At Plastics Live Ireland, stand D7, the evolution of electric innovation reaches another big milestone. Presenting the company’s Today. Tomorrow. Electric. message, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag concurrently celebrates 15 years of its all-electric IntElect machine featuring the company’s proprietary Sumitomo drive technology.
Launched first at K 2010, the IntElect series has been through multiple iterations to deliver power savings and increased processing precision without compromising speed for every market segment. Technical Sales Manager Kris Thacker reflects on what has made the series one of the most popular and energy efficient all-electric injection moulding machines installed by Irish processors today.
Originally developed for the medical and electrical precision markets, the IntElect’s exceptional torque, smooth dynamics and cutting-edge direct drive motors engineered by the Group in Japan helped to set a new standard for energy efficient injection moulding.
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will showcase its medical sector expertise at Plastics Live Ireland 2025, Stand D7, featuring solutions such as IntElect cleanroom machines, IntElect LSR packages, the PAC-E clean toggle, and the fast-cycling El-Exis SP. Designed for precision, high-volume production, and ISO 13485 compliance, these machines ensure consistent part quality while reducing costs. Highlights include the IntElect S series for pipette tips, vials, and drug delivery devices, the 420t PAC-E for hygienic, high-speed applications, and the El-Exis SP for ultra-fast cycle times and thin-walled components. Visitors can see advanced demonstrations of multi-cavity, automated production and explore the Limerick showroom’s IntElect S production cells. For more information, visit Stand D7.
Frank Gleeson, former President of Ibec and CEO of Aramark, has been appointed CEO of the Washington DC based National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). He will succeed current NACS President and CEO Henry Armour and will be only the fourth CEO in the organization’s 64 year history.
AI was identified as the greatest area of focus by nearly two thirds (65%) of respondents in a study, conducted with Amárach Research, and presented as part of a forum by Ibec Digital Health, held in its Head Office, 30 July. The event was held as part of the ongoing Ibec cross-sectoral campaign ‘Where Digital Health Thrives’ led by Irish Medtech, BioPharmaChem Ireland, and Technology Ireland.
Ibec is proud to announce that it will host Ireland’s first-ever Manufacturing Day on Friday, 3 October 2025, marking a major new initiative to celebrate and showcase the country’s world-class manufacturing sector. This nationwide initiative invites companies across Ireland to open their doors to students, educators, and local communities—offering a unique, inside look at the people, technologies, diversity and career opportunities driving the sector.
First Polymer Training Skillnet was thrilled to host Silvio Paesano from EWIKON Heißkanalsysteme GmbH at our training centre for an expert-level session on hot runner technology.
We’re thrilled to share a new connection between First Polymer Training Skillnet and Applied Polymer Technologies (APT) at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands. Together, we are exploring ways to enhance polymer training and research to increase public awareness regarding knowledge of the polymer industry innovations.
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) looks forward to the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument, taking place in Geneva from 5 to 14 August. The BPF hopes that this resumed session will see a conclusion of the INC process with a Treaty Text agreed by all participating countries. The BPF would like this to be an ambitious Treaty that covers the whole life cycle of plastics.
The British Plastics Federation (BPF), supported by BPF Energy, has published the fourth edition of Energy Management in Plastics Processing, written by Dr Robin Kent of Tangram Technology. The new publication uses data derived from real-world situations to highlight its points. It is the only book that specifically looks at energy management for plastics processors, with sections that deep-dive into each major manufacturing process, including thermoforming, rotational moulding and EPS foam moulding. It is designed as a practical workbook to help improve energy management, with sections covering processes and services relevant to every site.
In today’s fast-evolving plastics manufacturing world, control systems are the digital backbone of efficient, scalable, and cost-effective production. Yet many plants still rely on aging automation platforms that silently limit performance. If you’re facing quality issues, downtime, or preparing for Industry 4.0 integration, now might be the right time to upgrade. This guide shows how to recognise the warning signs, conduct a smart upgrade audit, and future-proof your operations.
With demand for higher throughput and tighter tolerances, extrusion processors can’t afford unplanned downtime or inconsistent product quality. Effective control over blending, feeding and automation ensures consistent product quality, reduces material waste and supports profitability. When control systems lag behind modern production demands, small inefficiencies can quickly escalate, resulting in scrap, stoppages, and lower OEE. Below, we highlight five common extrusion control pitfalls, and how smart upgrades can eliminate them.
As manufacturers face rising production targets and tighter margins, the need for faster, more efficient processing has never been more urgent. One area where processors can unlock significant gains is in the blending stage of the extrusion line. Upgrading to a precision gravimetric blender can improve material dosing accuracy, reduce waste and increase line throughput. In this blog, we will be discussing how exactly precision gravimetric blending can increase your output and maximise the Return on Investment in your production facility.
