The 54th edition of Cibus Tec was presented today in Milan. The event is the global benchmark for the evolution of the industry dedicated to technologies for the food and beverage sector and will be held in Parma from 27 to 30 October 2026.
Just a few months before opening, Cibus Tec 2026 confirms strong market interest and is recording a particularly positive trend compared with the same organisational phase of the previous edition. Bookings are in fact more advanced than in 2023, both in terms of the number of exhibitors already confirmed and the exhibition area occupied, confirming earlier planning by companies and growing involvement from the main players in the sector.
Final projections point to a further strengthening of the event, with the aim of exceeding 1,300 exhibitors and brands, over 40,000 square metres of exhibition space and the use of the entire exhibition centre. The international component is confirmed as one of the most significant elements of the 2026 edition, with the expected share of foreign exhibitors and brands exceeding 30% and qualified participation from the world’s leading markets for technologies for the food and beverage industry.
On the visitor front too, pre-registration figures show a positive trend compared with the same phase of the previous edition. Cibus Tec 2026 aims to exceed 40,000 professional attendees, with the share of international visitors expected to grow and an increasingly strong focus on buyers, decision makers and qualified operators from the main food & beverage supply chains.
Internationalisation continues to be one of the event’s key strategic assets. Thanks to the collaboration with ICE – Italian Trade Agency and the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region, this edition will see the Top Buyers Program further strengthened. This is one of the most structured international incoming programmes in the sector and will bring more than 3,000 qualified international buyers to Parma. Special focus will also be placed on the African continent, with over 100 new top buyers from high-potential markets for the development of food technologies.
The participation of African delegations forms part of the broader Cibus Tec for Africa project, created to foster new development opportunities for Made in Italy food technologies in sub-Saharan African markets, through the creation of partnerships between companies and the transfer of expertise.
One of the main new features of Cibus Tec 2026 is the strategic partnership with Federvini, the federation representing Italian companies in the wine, spirits and vinegar sectors, promoting their development and competitiveness.
The collaboration strengthens the presence of the beverage supply chain within Cibus Tec and expands the wine sector’s presence through a dedicated area in Hall 3, where some of the leading companies supplying technologies and solutions for the wine industry will be present.
The initiative will culminate on 29 October with a workshop entirely dedicated to the wine sector, featuring high-profile speakers from Italy and abroad discussing strategic issues for the competitiveness of the supply chain, from international trade agreements to the evolution of the European regulatory framework and the challenges of sustainability.
The 2026 edition will also be characterised by the partnership with World Pasta Day, the most eagerly awaited global event in the pasta industry, promoted by Unione Italiana Food and IPO – International Pasta Organization.
For the first time in its history, World Pasta Day will take place in Parma, within Cibus Tec, with two days of initiatives, on 27 and 28 October, centred in Hall 2 of the exhibition, and dedicated to producers, technology companies, associations, institutions, retailers and specialised operators from all over the world.
The choice of Parma is no coincidence. A symbol of Italian gastronomic culture and a meeting point for expertise, industry and innovation, the city represents the ideal setting to host a global event dedicated to one of the world’s most iconic and recognised products. The partnership also represents a natural convergence between two organisations sharing a strong international outlook and an integrated vision of the agri-food supply chain; while World Pasta Day celebrates one of the most loved and recognised symbols of Italian identity worldwide, Cibus Tec represents its technological and production ecosystem, offering a complete view of product innovation throughout its entire journey, from raw materials to processing, through to packaging and distribution.
The Italian pasta industry continues to confirm its international leadership: Italy exports around 59% of its national production and accounts for 24% of global production, meaning that one plate of pasta in four consumed worldwide and around three out of four in Europe are made with Italian pasta.
Unionfood figures for 2025 show, compared with 2024, growth in production volumes, +0.8%, and exports by volume, +2.1%, against a slight decline in production value, -1.9%, and export value, -1.2%, partly attributable to the physiological adjustment of the market following the extraordinary dynamics recorded in the years after the pandemic.
In this context, technological innovation is confirmed as a strategic lever for the competitiveness of the food industry, strengthening the role of Cibus Tec as an international reference point for the sector.
For more than eighty years, Cibus Tec has accompanied the evolution of the food industry, promoting dialogue between companies, research and universities, fostering technological innovation and the spread of expertise throughout the entire food & beverage value chain, with a significant presence across all product sectors and in a strongly market-oriented context.
Today the event represents a privileged observatory and forum for discussion on the major changes affecting the sector, from automation to digitalisation, from sustainability to food safety, offering a broad overview of the solutions and models that will guide its development.
This vocation is also reflected in the content and formats that characterise this new edition. Cibus Tec 2026 is in fact enriched by new special projects dedicated to two strategic supply chains in the food and beverage industry;
“Bakery? Yes, we tec!” and “Beverage? Yes, we tec!”: thematic areas entirely dedicated to the most innovative technologies and solutions for bakery products and the beverage sector, illustrating the entire production process, from raw material processing through to packaging and end-of-line.
Alongside the exhibition area, Cibus Tec 2026 offers a wide-ranging programme of special areas, conferences and events designed to encourage encounters between technologies, expertise and people, providing opportunities for professional updating and networking for the entire supply chain.
Initiatives include the Demo Factory, with live demonstrations of three highly automated and fully operational production lines; the Startup Area, with a selection of the best projects and solutions to promote innovation; and the Talent Academy, created with the support of Cisita Parma. The latter promotes dialogue between training and industry, encouraging meetings between students, teachers and companies in the food technology sector through discussions on the skills of the future and initiatives such as the “Food Future Challenge” contest, aimed at upper secondary schools and dedicated to the themes of innovation, creativity and sustainability in Food Processing, Food Packaging and Beverage.
Among the events of the 2026 edition dedicated to innovation is the conference Food 5.0: from AI to automation, for safe and competitive production, organised by SPS Italia, and scheduled for 30 October, dedicated to the technologies transforming the food industry.
Artificial intelligence, automation, process digitalisation and data enhancement will be at the centre of the discussion between experts, companies and supply chain operators, with the aim of exploring the contribution of new technologies to the competitiveness, safety and sustainability of food production.
Today’s Press Conference was opened by Thomas Rosolia, President of Koeln Parma Exhibitions and CEO of Koelnmesse Italia, who emphasised: “Koelnmesse’s contribution represents a strategic accelerator for the growth of Cibus Tec and for its positioning on global markets. Its experience in food technology and the international network built also through leading events such as Anuga FoodTec make it possible to involve high-profile professionals and strengthen the role of the event as a platform dedicated to innovation and the internationalisation of the food & beverage sector”.
Antonio Cellie, CEO of Koeln Parma Exhibitions and Fiere di Parma, added: “Cibus Tec is the only event capable of bringing together, in one place, all the technology and innovation supply chains for food & beverage. It is a true deep dive into the entire production chain: from dairy to canned food, from wine to beer, through to the most specialised processing operations. Here, technology transfer becomes concrete, because we present the full spectrum of innovations that are transforming the industry. This is what makes Cibus Tec an essential event for anyone who wants to understand where the sector is heading and which solutions will drive competitiveness in the coming years“.
Regarding the strategic collaboration between Federvini and Cibus Tec, Gabriele Castelli, Director of Federvini, stated: “Cibus Tec is increasingly a showcase for new technologies applied to the food sector, including wines, and we are very pleased to launch this collaboration by focusing on sustainability, also in light of recent legislative developments. For this reason, we are very pleased to build, together with Cibus Tec, a first workshop entirely dedicated to the wine sector, which will bring together the world of production, machinery suppliers and institutions”.
Cristiano Laurenza Director of the Legal, Economic and Internationalisation Area of Unione Italiana Food and Secretary General of IPO – International Pasta Organization then took the floor: “World Pasta Day is now an iconic event. Created back in 1998 and conceived by Unione Italiana Food in collaboration with the world’s pasta makers of the International Pasta Organization, World Pasta Day will this year be celebrated in Parma, at the heart of Italy’s Food Valley, in collaboration with Cibus Tec. This partnership confirms the importance of innovation in pasta, which in 2025 and in these first months of 2026, despite international tensions, has once again reaffirmed its strong appreciation on global markets, alongside the success of traditional durum wheat semolina pasta and many other pasta specialities, such as wholewheat, cereal-based, legume-based, gluten-free and many others, designed for specific nutritional needs.”
Cibus Tec 2026 will be held at the same time as the second edition of Labotec, the reference event for innovation and technologies for analytical laboratories, a trade fair bringing together different industrial sectors in a single context and strengthening the event’s content thanks to the increasingly central role of these technologies in the food & beverage industry.
From this edition, admission to the two fairs will be free of charge, with the aim of encouraging even wider participation by professionals and enhancing the dissemination of the technical and scientific content on offer. Registrations are already open through the online ticket office on the event’s official website.