Extrusion International 3-2026-USA

24 Extrusion International 3/2026 24 INDUSTRY NEWS SPE’s ANTEC® to Drive Technical Education at NPE2027 as Part of Integrated Expo+ Education Experience The Plastics Industry Associa- tion (PLASTICS) announced that the technical education program for NPE2027 will be powered by ANTEC®, the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) annual technical conference. The ANTEC® technical tracks, combined with other educa- tion sessions, will be presented as part of the Expo+ experience at the NPE2027 trade show. This integration brings ANTEC’s® rigorously curated technical con- tent directly into the broader NPE program for the rst time. As part of the Expo+ experience, ANTEC® programming will be included with Expo+ registration, creating a uni- ed platform that combines techni - cal depth with large-scale industry engagement. The collaboration reects the com - bined capabilities of PLASTICS and SPE following their recent merger and is designed to strengthen the connection between technical knowledge and commercial applica- tions across the plastics value chain. “When we said these organiza- tions are better together , this is exactly the kind of collaboration we had in mind,” said Matt Seaholm, President & CEO of PLASTICS. “By integrating ANTEC into NPE2027, we’re bringing the industry’s lead- ing technical expertise directly onto its largest global stage – connect- ing research, innovation, and real- world application in one place. This is a natural culmination of these two organizations coming together and represents a meaningful step for- ward in how we serve the plastics community.” For NPE attendees, the addition of ANTEC® provides access to in- depth technical content aligned with the innovations on display across the show oor. Topics will include areas such as AI-enabled processing, advanced recycling, sustainability, bioplastics, injection molding, additive manufacturing, polymer analysis, design, and mate- rials performance – offering practi- cal insight into current technologies and emerging developments. For ANTEC® attendees and the SPE community, integration into NPE expands the reach and visibility of technical work by connecting re- searchers, engineers, and scientists with a broader, global audience that includes manufacturers, brand owners, and decision-makers. “ANTEC® is the annual event for sharing cutting-edge techni- cal information,” said Patrick Far- rey, Executive Vice President and Chief Integration Of cer, PLASTICS. “Bringing ANTEC® to NPE2027 con- nects that learningwith the full scale of the global plastics market where it can have the greatest impact.” In addition to ANTEC’s® techni- cal programming, the Expo+ educa- tion experience will feature sessions focused on sustainability, regula- tory developments, workforce con- siderations, and business strategy, curated by PLASTICS. Together, the combined programming is intended to provide a comprehensive view of the challenges and opportunities impacting the plastics industry. An ANTEC® Call for Speakers will be announced shortly. NPE2027, taking place May 3-7, 2027, in Orlando, FL, brings to- gether stakeholders from across the global plastics industry to explore innovation, address current opera- tional challenges, and identify strat- egies for future growth. www.plasticsindustry.org Matt Seaholm American Foundation for a New Fund Teknor Apex Company an- nounced it has joined as a found- ing partner in a new €75 million investment fund with OSS Ventures to scale proven industrial software companies across North America and Europe. Building Software Where It Matters: On the Manufacturing Floor For Teknor Apex, this partner- ship reflects a shared belief: indus- trial software only drives lasting change when it's built from the manufacturing floor up – along- side the operators, supervisors, and engineers who use it daily. That belief aligned the company with OSS Ventures, a venture stu- dio founded in 2019 by Renan Devillieres that builds next-gen- eration industrial software at the intersection of software develop- ment and manufacturing opera- tions. Teknor Apex will serve as the re- gional industrial anchor partner as OSS Ventures extends its operations into North America with a new of- ce in Boston, MA – becoming the rst U.S. manufacturer to both in - vest in and operate OSS portfolio software at scale. “Manufacturing in the U.S. must become more competitive – and we believe we have a clear path to help make that happen,” said Don- ald Wiseman, CEO, Teknor Apex.