CIBUS TEC 2026: Innovation and global vision drive the future of food & beverage

Cibus Tec 2026, scheduled at Fiere di Parma from October 27 to 30, is the global benchmark for the evolution of the food & beverage industry, combining a strong legacy with a concrete look toward the future. The entire foodtech supply chain comes together on a single stage, where processing technologies, packaging solutions, and end-of-line systems interact across all production phases in a highly market-oriented environment.

Within this ecosystem, innovation and business come together to create new projects destined to redefine the future of production, making Cibus Tec the reference point for those aiming to drive change. Here, companies and professionals build strategic relationships, identify trends and strengthen their competitiveness. 

Figures, Trends and Top Buyer Program

Despite an international geopolitical scenario marked by strong tensions and instability, the event continues to attract significant interest from numerous new exhibitors, both Italian and international, confirming the solidity and concrete opportunities offered by Cibus Tec.

Less than six months before the opening, available data shows extremely positive growth compared to the same period of the previous edition, with a 25% increase in the number of exhibitors and a 35% expansion of the overall exhibition area. The international component is particularly relevant, recording an increase of over 50% in foreign exhibitors and more than 40% in exhibition space dedicated to them. Visitor pre-registrations are also growing significantly, with a 30% increase compared to the previous edition and a 35% rise in international buyers. The Top Buyers Program, developed in collaboration with ICE Agency and with the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region, is also continuing successfully and will bring more than 3,000 qualified international buyers to Parma, including 100 new top buyers from the African continent.

Packagin

Cibus Tec 2026 confirms its position as an international benchmark for food packaging, which represents over 35% of the total exhibition offering, a figure that has grown compared to 2023, with a 50% increase in the number of exhibitors and a 45% expansion of the exhibition area.

The significant presence of exhibitors in this sector, spanning all supply chains, confirms the central role of solutions aimed at improving production efficiency and market competitiveness, from primary and secondary packaging to end-of-line systems, with a strong focus on sustainability, consumption reduction, safety, product traceability and increasing integration with automated and digital systems. 

Cibus Tec for Africa 

Among the main new features of 2026 is the Cibus Tec for Africa project, aimed at developing new opportunities for Made in Italy food technologies in the strategic markets of Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative fosters industrial and commercial relationships, promotes partnerships between companies and the transfer of know-how, contributing to the dissemination of skills and technologies along local supply chains. At the same time, it creates concrete opportunities for meetings between exhibiting companies and local operators, strengthening dialogue and the development of medium- to long-term collaborations. 

The recent stop in Senegal, carried out in collaboration with ICE and local partners, confirmed the strong interest in Italian technologies in the agri-food sector. The project continues with a new mission to Nairobi (Kenya), between June and July, involving a significant number of Italian companies engaged in B2B meetings, presentations and technical tours with local food & beverage operators.

Further stages in Africa are already planned for the next three years, with initiatives of increasing impact aimed at consolidating and strengthening mutual industrial relationships. 

World Pasta Day 

In the 2026 edition, Cibus Tec will also bring World Pasta Day to Parma for the first time, the most important global event for the pasta industry. This year, the celebrations will be extended to an entire week, a true World Pasta Week, promoted by Unione Italiana Food and IPO – International Pasta Organisation, which will conclude on October 27 and 28 within the exhibition.

The initiative, with a focus on the entire supply chain, will involve producers, associations, institutions and technological partners, both Italian and international, offering a moment for discussion on key industry topics and an opportunity to highlight the role of pasta as a cultural, social and economic symbol. 

As highlighted by Mario Piccialuti, General Director of Unione Italiana Food, “Cibus Tec has offered us the opportunity to emphasize the constant connection with the supply chain, where production technology and packaging are increasingly central to the innovation of an iconic product of Italian identity worldwide.” 

International Development with Koelnmesse 

The international development path of Cibus Tec is also supported by the collaboration with its strategic partner Koelnmesse, an international trade fair leader based in Cologne and present in over 120 countries. In particular, Koelnmesse contributes to the development of Cibus Tec by providing specialized expertise in the foodtec sector, a global network of buyers and exhibitors and access to the international circuit of leading Food and FoodTec events.  

In this regard, Thomas Rosolia, President of KPE – Koeln Parma Exhibitions and CEO of Koelnmesse Italia, stated: “The contribution of Koelnmesse represents a strategic element in the development of Cibus Tec and in strengthening its international positioning. Our expertise in food technology and our consolidated global network, also built through leading events such as Anuga FoodTec, enable us to attract qualified operators and enhance the role of the exhibition as a platform for innovation and internationalization of the food & beverage supply chain.” 

Bakery? Yes We Tec, Beverage? Yes We Tec – All Technologies 

With regard to exhibition content, Cibus Tec 2026 confirms its focus on bakery, beverage and packaging, key areas for the evolution of the food industry. In this context, the special projects “Bakery? Yes, we tec!” and “Beverage? Yes, we tec!” are introduced, dedicated to the most advanced technologies across the entire production process, from raw material processing to packaging and end-of-line systems, fostering the meeting between technology suppliers and companies in the supply chain. 

The exhibition offering is completed by the presence of innovative and transversal technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, digitalization, intralogistics, traceability and energy efficiency solutions, which are increasingly central to the competitiveness of the sector. 

Cibus Tec 2026 will take place at Fiere di Parma from October 27 to 30, 2026, concurrently with the second edition of Labotec, a reference event for innovation and laboratory analysis technologies, bringing together different industrial sectors in a single context and strengthening the exhibition content thanks to the increasingly central role of these technologies in the food & beverage industry. 

From this edition, entry to both exhibitions will be free, with the aim of encouraging broader participation by professionals and enhancing the dissemination of technical and scientific content. Registrations are already open via the online ticketing system on the official website.