From 6 to 8 October, more than 330 companies from 22 countries will present equipment and ingredients at Alimentaria FoodTech 2026 in Barcelona. Artificial intelligence will reach the factory floor, as the event focuses on tools to improve food and drink production while protecting quality and safety.
International exhibitors account for 26% of the total. The fair will cover nearly 15,000 square metres at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, next to Barcelona. More than 140 experts and 38 startups are also expected, information from Fira de Barcelona and related industry coverage.
Exhibitors will focus on production equipment. Cold high-pressure systems aim to extend shelf life, while artificial vision and AI tools will detect contaminants and defects. Sensors will target product losses and water use.
Those systems address factories’ basic demands: automation and digitalisation, food safety, ingredient development and sustainability. Industry announcements present the fair as a showcase for industrial food-chain technology, rather than consumer products.
Established suppliers on the programme include MIMASA, Dordal, Handtmann, Weber, Vaessen Schoemaker, Hiperbaric, ULMA, Tetra Pak, Roser Group, CSB System, Brenntag, Jarvis, Midera, Sick, Impag Iberia and Bizerba. Kersia has also confirmed its participation publicly. Their equipment, software, sensors and raw materials give the fair a clear industrial focus.
Industry announcements indicate the business programme may feature more than 60 events, including talks and round tables, alongside a buyer programme for international purchasers. The format aims to connect international buyers with businesses evaluating production technologies and suppliers.
Food manufacturers must improve efficiency while controlling safety risks, resource use and avoidable losses. Alimentaria FoodTech will bring those demands into one programme, where visitors can assess automation and AI alongside ingredient technology through equipment and applications.
An earlier report examined the fair’s technology focus and AI’s role in Spanish food factories in an earlier report. The 2026 edition adds conservation technology, sensors and ingredients to that industrial picture.
Startups will have a separate place in the programme, with 38 companies joining established suppliers. The fair will also stage the FoodTech Awards Innova and the FoodTech Awards Emprende. A new prize, the FoodTech Award al Mérito Científico 2026, will recognise initiatives and experts developing advanced technologies or ingredients for food production, processing or conservation.
