The 54th edition of Cibus Tec is close to sold-out in terms of exhibition space
Registrations and international participation are growing.
Two strategic partnerships mark the 2026 edition: Federvini, the federation representing Italian companies in the wine, spirits and vinegar sectors, and World Pasta Day, the most important international event dedicated to the entire pasta supply chain, which for the first time in its history has chosen Parma and Cibus Tec as the venue for its 2026 edition.
The 54th edition of Cibus Tec was presented today in Milan, the leading global event for the evolution of the industry, dedicated to technologies for the food and beverage sector taking place in Parma from 27 to 30 October 2026.
Just a few months before its opening, Cibus Tec 2026 confirms the strong interest of the market and records particularly positive results compared with the same organisational stage of the previous edition. Registrations are in fact more advanced than in 2023, both in terms of the number of exhibitors already confirmed and the exhibition space already occupied, confirming earlier planning by companies and growing involvement from the leading players in the sector.
Final projections indicate a further strengthening of the exhibition, with the objective of exceeding 1,300 exhibitors and brands, more than 40,000 square metres of exhibition space, and the use of the entire exhibition district.
The international component once again confirms itself as one of the most significant features of the 2026 edition, with the expected share of international exhibitors and brands exceeding 30%, and with qualified participation from the world’s leading markets for food and beverage technologies.
Visitor pre-registration data also show a positive trend compared with the same stage of the previous edition. Cibus Tec 2026 aims to exceed 40,000 professional visitors, with an increasing share of international attendees and an ever stronger focus on buyers, decision makers and qualified operators from the main food & beverage supply chains.
Internationalisation continues to represent one of the event’s main strategic assets. Thanks to the collaboration with ICE Agency and the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region, this edition further strengthens the Top Buyers Program, one of the sector’s most structured international incoming programmes, which will bring more than 3,000 qualified international buyers to Parma.
Special attention will also be devoted to the African continent, with more than 100 new top buyers from high-potential markets for the development of food technologies.
The participation of African delegations is part of the broader Cibus Tec for Africa project, created to promote new development opportunities for Made in Italy food technologies in Sub-Saharan African markets through the creation of business partnerships and the transfer of expertise.
Among the main new features of Cibus Tec 2026 is the strategic partnership with Federvini, the federation representing Italian companies operating 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 through a dedicated area in Hall 3, where some of the leading suppliers of 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 who will discuss strategic issues affecting the competitiveness of the supply chain, from international trade agreements and the evolution of the European regulatory framework to sustainability challenges.
Another distinctive feature of the 2026 edition is the partnership with World Pasta Day, the most anticipated global event for the pasta industry, promoted by Unione Italiana Food and IPO – International Pasta Organisation.
For the first time in its history, World Pasta Day will take place in Parma, within Cibus Tec, with two days of events, on October 27 and 28, concentrated in Hall 2 of the fair, dedicated to producers, technology companies, associations, institutions, retailers and specialized operators from around the world.
The choice of Parma is not accidental. 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 widely recognized products.
The partnership also represents a natural convergence between two realities sharing a strong international outlook and an integrated vision of the agri-food supply chain.; If World Pasta Day celebrates one of the most beloved and recognized symbols of Italian identity in the World, Cibus Tec represents its technological and production ecosystem, offering a comprehensive view of product innovation along its entire journey, from raw materials to processing, packaging and distribution.
The Italian pasta industry continues to confirm its international leadership: Italy exports about 59% of its national production and accounts for 24% of global production, so much so that one out of every four plates of pasta consumed in the world, and about three out of four in Europe, are made with Italian pasta.
Unione Italiana Food data for 2025 show, compared to 2024, an increase in production volumes + 0.8%, and in export volumes + 2.1%, against a slight decrease in production value -1.9%) and in export value -1.2%, partly due to the natural market adjustment following the extraordinary dynamics recorded in the years after the pandemic.
In this context, technological innovation confirms itself as a strategic lever for the competitiveness of the food industry, strengthening the role of Cibus Tec as an international benchmark for the sector.
For over eighty years, Cibus Tec has accompanied the evolution of the food industry promoting dialogue between companies, research and universities, fostering technological innovation and the dissemination of skills along the entire food & beverage value chain, with a significant presence across all product sectors and in a strongly market-oriented contest.
Today the event represents a privileged vantage point and forum for discussion on the major changes affecting the sector, from automation to digitalization, from sustainability to food safety, offering a broad overview of solutions and models that will guide its development.
This vocation is also reflected in the content and formats that characterize this new edition. Cibus Tec 2026 is, in fact, enriched with new special projects dedicated to two strategic supply chains of 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 baked goods and for the beverage sector, showcasing the entire production process, from raw material processing through to packaging and end-of-line operations.
Alongside the exhibition area, Cibus Tec 2026 offers a comprehensive program of special areas, conferences and events designed to foster the meeting of technologies, skills and people as well as new professional profiles and to provide opportunities for updates, discussion and networking for the entire supply chain.
Among the initiatives are the Demo Factory, with live demonstrations of three highly automated and fully operational production lines; the Startup Area, featuring a selection of the best projects and solutions to promote innovation; the Talent Academy, developed with the support of Cisita Parma. The latter promotes dialogue between education and industry, fostering interaction between students, teachers and companies in food technologies sector through moments of discussion on future skills of initiatives such as the “Food Future Challenge”, contest aimed at upper secondary schools and dedicated to innovation, creativity and sustainability in Food Processing, Food Packaging and Beverage.
Among the innovation-focused events of the 2026 edition is also the conference “Food 5.0: From AI to Automation, for Safe and Competitive Production”, organized by SPS Italia and scheduled for October 30, dedicated to the technologies transforming the food industry. Artificial intelligence, automation, process digitalization and data enhancement will be at the centre of discussions 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 Mr Thomas Rosolia, President of Koeln Parma Exhibitions and CEO of Koelnmesse Italia, who stated: “Koelnmesse’s contribution represents a strategic accelerator for the growth of Cibus Tec and for its positioning in global markets. Our experience in food technology and the international network built also through leading events such as Anuga FoodTec enable the involment of high-profile professionals and strengthen the role of the event as a platform dedicated to innovation and the internationalization 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 supply chains of technology and innovation for the food and beverage industry. It offers a comprehensive and in-depth overview of the entire production chain: from dairy and canned food processing to wine and beer production, as well as the most specialized manufacturing sectors. Here, technology transfer becomes tangible, as we showcase the full spectrum of innovations that are transforming the industry. This is what makes Cibus Tec an essential event for anyone looking to understand where the sector is heading and which solutions will drive competitiveness in the years to come.”
Regarding the strategic collaboration between Federvini and Cibus Tec, Gabriele Castelli, Director of Federvini, stated: “Cibus Tec is increasingly becoming a showcase for new technologies applied to the food sector, including wine, and we are very pleased to launch this collaboration with a focus on sustainability, also in light of recent legislative developments. For this reason, we are delighted to organize together with Cibus Tec a first workshop entirely dedicated to the wine sector, bringing together the production world, machinery suppliers and institutional representatives.”
Cristiano Laurenza, Director of the Legal, Economic and Internationalization Area of Unione Italiana Food and General Secretary of IPO – International Pasta Organization, than took the floor: “World Pasta Day is now an iconic event. Created in 1998 and conceived by Unione Italiana Food in collaboration with the pasta makers worldwide within the International Pasta Organization, World Pasta Day will this year be celebrated in Parma, the heart of the Italian Food Valley, in collaboration with Cibus Tec. This partnership confirms the importance of innovation in the pasta sector, which in 2025 and in these first months of 2026, despite international tensions, has reaffirmed its strong appreciation in global markets, alongside the success of traditional durum wheat pasta with many other pasta excellences, such as whole grain pasta, cereal-based pasta, legume-based pasta, gluten-free and others designed for specific nutritional need.”
Cibus Tec 2026 will take place concurrently with the second edition of Labotec, a leading event for innovation and laboratory analysis technologies, a trade fair that brings together different industrial sectors in a single setting, strengthening the content of the exhibition thanks to the increasingly central role of these technologies in the food & beverage industry.
From this edition onwards, admission to both exhibitions will be free of charge, with the aim of encouraging even broader participation of professionals and enhancing the dissemination of the technical and scientific content on offer.
Registration is already open via the online ticketing system on the official event website.
https://www.cibustec.it/en/home/
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
