As the process industry is under enormous pressure to recruit the next generation of skilled professionals, companies and young talent need to find new ways of finding one another. POWTECH TECHNOPHARM, which takes place in Nuremberg from 29 September to 1 October 2026, is addressing this precise challenge through its Student Day and Startup Area, which offer guidance, opportunities for direct networking, guided tours, presentations, and a subsidised platform for startups. This makes the trade fair a key gathering place where young people can learn about career pathways and employers can forge contacts with emerging skilled professionals at an early stage.
The shortage of young talent and skilled workers is exerting considerable pressure on the process industry: “There are basically two key challenges at play here. First, many experienced skilled workers will leave the job market as they reach retirement age. Second, the next generation of workers will face increasing demands as the workplace continues to evolve due to factors such as digitisation, automation, sustainability requirements, and new production technologies,” says Daniel Puschmann, Manager Customer Success at POWTECH TECHNOPHARM. “These two factors help explain why more than 71,000 jobs in occupations relevant to the chemical-pharmaceutical industry cannot currently be filled by suitably qualified skilled professionals.” Companies often do not have appropriate access to young talent, while many students and early-career professionals struggle to get off to the right start in what is a complex professional field.
With its Student Day on Thursday, 1 October 2026, and the Startup Area on all three days of the event, POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 2026 is providing two main hubs where up-and-coming professionals, companies, and innovation leaders can come into direct contact with one another. The trade fair provides young people with career guidance, practical insights, and contacts to potential employers, while companies get the opportunity to raise their visibility efficiently and network with the next generation of skilled workers.
Heightened competition for talent
Companies are facing tougher competition for technical and academic talent. Demand is particularly high in engineering, maintenance, and production – areas where young talent is already in short supply. As a result, employers need to establish visibility early. According to Puschmann, the two key hurdles when trying to recruit the next generation are “fiercer competition for STEM talent and technical professionals, and the difficulties in gaining early visibility for your company and employer brand”.
Conversely, it is not always easy for young people to break into the process industry. Many are not aware of the wide range of career paths available, technical occupations can often seem abstract, and it is hard to decide between apprenticeships, work-study programmes, university degrees, or entry-level jobs. In addition, students are often looking for practical topics for their theses and for contacts with companies.
“The Student Day on the third day of the fair is geared towards anyone who is still a student, just starting in their career, or simply curious about the world of process technology,” explains Puschmann. “Whether they are still completing their degree, have just graduated, or are starting out as young professionals – POWTECH TECHNOPHARM will give them interesting insights, valuable contacts, and a wealth of inspiration for their career path.”
Focus on direct contacts and connecting theory and practice
The Student Day bridges the gap between theory and practice and fosters face-to-face encounters. Visitors can connect with companies, discover opportunities for internships, working student positions, or entry-level jobs, join guided tours, and attend presentations. The programme includes dedicated tours focusing on entry-level pathways, business areas, technologies, and typical applications, as well as presentations on the theme “Career Journeys in Process Engineering”.
The VDI network for creative young process engineers (kjVI) will also be part of the Student Day. Aishe Grotjohann, co-chair of the kjVI, regards the event as an important source of career guidance: “The Student Day offers school and university students a good opportunity to gain an overview of this professional field and meet company representatives. This is helpful when making career choices and provides insights into the wide range of activities involved in being a (process) engineer, which is often more extensive than students think. This is why the Student Day is the highlight of POWTECH TECHNOPHARM for the kjVI,” says Grotjohann, adding: “Of course because that’s the day we host our programme, but also because, as an organisation for young process engineers, we are especially interested in events that get students excited about process engineering.”
