EIMA 2026 aims to bridge demand-supply gap in agritech

ICE will bring together as many as 830 business operators at a special programme of business-to-business meetings during the 47th edition of EIMA International that is set to convene at the Bologna Exhibition Centre from 10 to 14 November

With visitors already confirmed from 150 countries, the programme further scaled the event's international standing. “EIMA is in tune with new marketing requirements and allows for the ‘tailor-made’ planning of business meetings,” said Simona Rapastella, the director-general of FederUnacoma, the Confindustria federation representing the agricultural machinery sector and organiser of EIMA International. 

Manufacturing activities are becoming concentrated only to the most receptive regions, leading to a fragmented market. “To facilitate the ‘matching’ of supply and demand for technologies, the exhibition is expanding its international scope," Rapastella said, “and is rolling out specific initiatives for foreign businesses by strengthening the system of business-oriented services”.

There will be 650 foreign exhibiting companies at EIMA 2026 – out of a total of 1,800 already confirmed – representing 45 countries. The number of foreign visitors is expected to rise compared with the previous edition (2024), which recorded more than 63,000 attendances.

"EIMA is in tune with the new demands of marketing and promotes a ‘tailor-made’ approach to business management,” added Simona Rapastella, “but it also takes account of the macro-economic context, to focus on the variables that may influence the agricultural machinery sector; and the political context, which is crucial both for the development of sectoral strategies in different parts of the world and for identifying financial instruments that can support investment in the coming years.”

This year's theme, 'Drought in African agriculture: Economic and social costs', will take note of the current climatic and environmental emergencies facing the African continent and to analyse the repercussions these may have on the economies and social systems of many countries.