Over 40 trade visitors from 120 countries, a 10% increase over the previous edition, and 1.300 exhibiting companies, 30% of which were international. Cibus Tec 2026, the international event dedicated to technologies for the food and beverage industry, held from October 27 to 30 at Fiere di Parma, closed with record numbers. This edition featured strong international participation, with groups from 19 countries distributed across the various pavilions and a technological offering spanning all stages of the supply chain, from production to processing to packaging.
Particularly significant was the presence of international buyers, over 3, who came to Parma thanks to the Top Buyer Program, the incoming program dedicated to industry professionals. Among the foreign markets, Africa played a leading role, with over 300 professionals from 20 countries on the continent. This participation is part of the Cibus Tec for Africa project, which over the course of 2026 has brought Italian companies and expertise to five African markets through trade missions and meetings with local operators.
The program will continue in 2027 with new initiatives aimed at fostering industrial collaborations and the transfer of Italian technologies. Among the events already confirmed is participation with a collective exhibition at Anuga Select South Africa, scheduled for Cape Town from June 22nd to 24th.
Among the new features of the 2026 edition, special attention was paid to the Bakery sector, to which Cibus Tec dedicated a specific project for the first time. The sector represents 15,3% of the total value of Italian exports of food industry technologies and is a strategic segment for the national mechanical engineering industry. Through the initiative Bakery? Yes, We Tec!, the event addressed some of the main challenges of industrial baking, from new formulations to waste reduction, from energy consumption containment to the digitalization of production processes.
The central role of the beverage sector, traditionally one of the event's key sectors, was also confirmed. An entire pavilion was dedicated to technologies for the treatment and packaging of water, soft drinks, wine, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The projects Beverage? Yes, We Tec! e Wine? Yes, We Tec! They brought together the main international operators, with solutions oriented towards plant efficiency, sustainability and the evolution of production needs.
Organized by Koeln Parma Exhibitions, a joint venture between Koelnmesse and Fiere di Parma, the event will return from 23 to 26 October 2029. In the meantime, the calendar of events dedicated to food technology includes the Cibus Tec Forum in 2028, also in Parma.
