Students Get Hands-On

For two days, 15 young people at Syntegon in Crailsheim recently had the opportunity to dive into the operations of a strategic partner in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and food industry, tackling real-world technical challenges.

The occasion was the Packaging Valley Makeathon, held on October 29th and 30th. Students, professionals and technology enthusiasts from across the Packaging Valley – including the regions of Heilbronn-Franken, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, and Ulm – gathered at participating companies to brainstorm solutions for digital transformation and sustainability in packaging machine manufacturing.

Now in its fifth year, the decentralized event was organized by Packaging Valley Germany e.V., with support from ITQ GmbH and in cooperation with the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation as well as the Rems-Murr district.

At Syntegon, the focus was on “Automated Troubleshooting in Filling Lines”. Participants tackled the problem of unplanned interventions: How can robotic systems be used to detect and resolve issues like fallen vials, bent filling needles, or broken glass?

Among the participants were students from Aalen University, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, and Esslingen University. Some internal students were also present, like Kerstin Jaksch, PreMaster at Syntegon, who experienced her first Packaging Valley Makeathon: “I really enjoyed how the Makeathon focused on collaborating and trying out new ideas together. Creating innovative solutions in a short time, alongside motivated team members and great support from the coaches was not only fun but also helped me expand my skills and knowledge.”

Fully embracing Syntegon’s motto “Co-create. Co-succeed.”, participants worked in small groups guided by experts from Syntegon’s development department, to solve practical technical problems. All participating teams at all Makeathon locations were connected to each other via digital platforms, where they ultimately presented their ideas and results.

Dr. Johannes Rauschnabel, Senior Director Pharma Excellence (PEX) and event organizer at Syntegon, was delighted with the outcome: “The atmosphere was infectious and creative, and the participants came up with original solutions using simple ‘onboard resources.’ These solutions feature a playful seriousness that often contains the DNA for industrialization.”