With the new year, it is time once again to pick up the agenda to mark the 2019 automation trade shows. As always, these are important opportunities to stay abreast of industry news and forge new business relationships.

Here is our selection of the main events with a special focus on the proposals in Italy dedicated to automation fairs.

GLOBAL INDUSTRIES – LYON, MARCH 5-8

This French event actually encompasses 4 shows and is aimed at the entire industrial system considered broadly: we are talking about manufacturers, start-ups, research centers, but also R&D, design, production and maintenance professionals, and end consumers. The goal is to provide a place for participants to share knowledge related to processes, design, products and services. The previous edition had more than 2,200 exhibitors and over 40,000 visitors.

MECSPE – PARMA, MARCH 28-30

This B2B exhibition is a landmark for the manufacturing industry and attracts more than 53,000 visitors each year. The event consists of 12 salons, each related to a specific field: Machine Tools, Treatments and Finishing, Metrology and Quality Control, Digital Factory, Power Transmission, Automation and Robotics, Logistics, Electronic Subcontracting, Mechanical Subcontracting, Eurostamps, Plastics, Rubber and Composites Machinery and Subcontracting, Nonferrous Materials and Alloys, and Additive Manufacturing. The event is accompanied by a series of special initiatives focusing on specific topics, such as Industry 4.0. Some of them include exhibits by companies of industry excellence and innovative products.

SPS ICP DRIVES – PARMA, MAY 28-30

It is the quintessential trade show for the smart, digital and flexible industry that helps professionals understand the challenges of innovation by discussing the industry issues of the future. The eighth edition ended with a 6 percent growth in visitors, more than 35,000, and a 9.5 percent growth in exhibitors, more than 800 divided among five pavilions. It is worth mentioning that the organizer, Messe Frankfurt, holds a series of panel discussions at key locations in northern Italy. For example, in Milan on Feb. 26, the pharmaceutical sector and related enabling processes and technologies will be discussed; in Bologna on March 20, packaging and production efficiency in the service of mass customization will be discussed.

MOTEK – STUTTGART, OCTOBER 7-10

This event, which is added to our review on automation trade shows 2019, and among the world’s most important ones in the fields of manufacturing and assembly automation, feeding technology and material flow, rationalization through handling technology and industrial handling. As the only industry platform, it represents the entire world of automation.

CIBUSTEC – PARMA, OCTOBER 22-25

CIBUS TEC is among the most innovative food technology events and a comprehensive showcase of the best solutions, from ingredients to processing technologies, from packaging to logistics, for all sectors of the food and beverage industry. It is characterized by the variety of display sectors that include many products: fruits and vegetables, meats, baked goods, dishes, ready-to-eat, and coffee, just to name a few.