+++ Key theme of “Navigate Complexity. Smart. Safe. Sustainable.“ +++ New Community Hubs +++ Around 100 sessions on four specialised programme stages +++
Taking place from 23 to 26 February 2027, Anuga FoodTec will make the technological transformation of the food and beverage industries visible. To this purpose, an extensive specialised programme has been created that classifies new solutions and makes clear how they can be transferred into industrial processes. Trade visitors thus receive additional orientation for technical decisions and upcoming investments.
176 participants will design 55 sessions on the Innovation Stage and in the new SMART and SUSTAINABLE Community Hubs . These are joined by 44 sessions on the Speakers Corner stage. Under the professional and industry sponsorship of the German Agricultural Society (DLG), which also developed the content, the programme will be supplemented with nine guided tours to selected applications in the exhibition halls.
Innovation Stage with four daily areas of focus
With 20 sessions, the Innovation Stage is the largest specialised programme stage of the trade fair. On each day of the trade fair, the focus is on one processing area: the start is with milk and milk alternatives, followed on the second day of the trade fair by meat and the corresponding substitute products. Thursday is dedicated to liquid food and special water. On the last day of the trade fair, the focus is on plant-based food and food packaging.
“New technologies first convince when they function in the everyday industrial routine. Our specialised programme shows what they contribute and brings developers and users into discussion“, says Carola K. Herbst, Deputy Managing Director of the DLG Competence Center Agriculture and Food.
In terms of content, the programme extends from science & pioneering and food processing through safety & analytics to environment & energy. Other contributions deal with intralogistics, food packaging and pet food. Deep Dives are available for technical details while Science Slams convey research comprehensibly. The Open Expert Stages also allow for direct participation in the discussion, while a Fishbowl brings together various perspectives.
The programme is also expanded by the Female Leadership Event. On 23 February, the DLG and its trade and media partners will present the 13th International FoodTec Award in a ceremony in the Theater am Tanzbrunnen in Cologne-Deutz. This distinction, awarded every three years, honours pioneering developments in food technology that unite a high degree of innovation with more sustainability and at the same time increase efficiency.
As a knowledge partner of Anuga FoodTec, Innova Market Insights complement the programme with eight top trend sessions and Euromonitor with four sessions.
Community Hubs create space for an exchange
Two new hubs for knowledge transfer and professional exchange arise with the SMART and SUSTAINABLE Community Hubs. With this format, the trade fair embarks on new paths and moves away from classic lecture areas.
“The Community Hubs bring together science and operational practice. The specialised public can contribute their own questions and discuss directly with experts which solutions can be practicably realised“, Roland Thiemann, Director Anuga FoodTec, explains.
The SMART Community Hub is dedicated in 19 sessions to the digital transformation of food production with the focus on AI, digital twins, robotics, automation and cybersecurity. The SUSTAINABLE Community Hub with Ecolab as sponsor is dedicated to the themes of resource efficiency, the circular economy, sustainable packaging and alternative proteins in 16 further sessions.
Various Tech-Talks and Deep Dives guide the public deep into applications and specialised themes, while Fishbowls and BarCamps actively involve the audience. Further startup and innovation formats round off the offering.
Speakers Corner and guided tours bring knowledge into practice
While exhibitors on the stage of Speakers Corner explain their products and innovations to an international specialist public in compact lectures, the nine guided tours lead directly to select solutions in the exhibition halls, where large production systems and live demonstrations make their use intuitively accessible. The dialogue-oriented formats thus combine professional classification with direct experience and ease the comparison of various approaches.
Specialised start on the day prior to the start of the trade fair
The 5th International Conference on “Separation and Drying Technologies for Milk, Whey and Vegan Raw Materials“, organised by muva kempten GmbH and Herbertz Dairy Food Service, already starts on 22 February in Congress Centre East. The International FoodTec Forum, organised by the dfv Conference Group and the Lebensmittel Zeitung, also provides specialised impulses on the day prior to the start of the trade fair.
Careers Day for young talent for the industry
Careers Day on 26 February brings together students, alumni and young professionals with companies from food and beverage production. Especially relevant for this target group are the DLG Bar Camp and the guided tour. The DLG Hackathon is also part of the specialised programme.
Koelnmesse – industry trade fairs for the food technology sector: Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising trade fairs in the field of food and beverage processing. Anuga FoodTec, ISM Manufacturing (formerly ProSweets Cologne) and ISM Ingredients are established, world-leading trade fairs, hosted in Cologne/Germany. In addition to the events at its Cologne headquarters, Koelnmesse also stages further food technology trade fairs with different sector-specific areas of focus and content in key markets across the world, including Brazil, Colombia, India and Italy. These global activities enable Koelnmesse to offer its customers bespoke events and leading regional trade fairs in a variety of markets, thus creating the foundation for sustainable international business. Koelnmesse is also ideally positioned in the field of food and beverages with its leading international trade fairs Anuga and ISM and its global network of satellite events.
The next events:
Cibus Tec – Inspiring Innovation in Food and Beverage Technologies, Parma 27.10. – 30.10.2026
ISM Middle East – The Heart of Sweets and Snacks in the Middle East, Dubai 03.11. – 05.11.2026
ISM – One platform. Three specialized trade fairs. nISM Ingredients · ISM Manufacturing · ISM Snacks & Sweets n, Cologne 31.01. – 03.02.2027
Innovations in Food (& Beverage) Technology is a quarterly magazine distributed globally in Digital format. www.innovationsfood.com. X: @Innovfoodtech. Instagram: @innovationsinfoodtechnology. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/terry-prior52
