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KUKA Innovation Award 2026
We are looking for your ideas! Apply by 31.08.2025 and show us innovative concepts on the topic of “Circular Packaging”.
Circular Packaging Challenge
In response to the challenges posed by climate change and environmental pollution, the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation took effect at the beginning of the year. The PPWR establishes the legal framework for packaging and its waste in the EU. This means significant changes for companies and their production processes. To address this change, the KUKA Innovation Award 2026 will be all around "Circular Packaging". The award primarily targets the life cycle of packaging in consumer goods from placing products into the packaging until retrieving the package in the recycling process.
Be the next pioneer
We would like to encourage participants to look into the future: Where and how can robots be used in packaging industries applications and contribute to optimal efficiency of robot applications? What role can AI play in the applications, tasks, sensors and vision systems? The solutions should address a valid problem that can be solved with an innovative robotic system. Market requirements should also be considered, and potential business opportunities highlighted. Participants from academia, research and industry are encouraged to present system concepts that can lead to or are already on the edge to commercialization.
Send us your application (max. 12 pages in English) as a PDF by e-mail by 31.08.2025.*
You will have the opportunity to implement your ideas with a KUKA robot, which is provided free of charge and can optionally be expanded with a Roboception 3D vision system and KUKA software packages.
Free training and coaching
We invite you to Augsburg for a free training for the hardware and software. In addition, you will receive coaching from KUKA experts throughout the competition to be more effective in the implementation phase.
Presentation at world's leading fair for packaging
We offer you the opportunity to present your application at the KUKA booth during interpack 2026 to a broad audience consisting of representatives from industry and research, the media and interested trade fair visitors.
20,000 € prize money for the winning team
The winner of the KUKA Innovation Award will be ceremonially chosen at the awards ceremony at the trade fair and will receive prize money of €20,000.
Here you will find all further information about the application and the terms and conditions for participation.
