Industry companies and organisations endorse the new strategic direction of Expoquimia 2026

With just one year to go, Expoquimia 2026 has confirmed 75 % of its planned exhibitor space. This strong commercial start demonstrates solid support from leading industry players and organisations for the trade fair’s redefined strategy, which focuses on highlighting and strengthening the link between chemical industry and production processes across multiple sectors. Consequently, both the exhibition stands and activity programme curated by Fira de Barcelona will showcase the transformative and cross-sectoral role of chemistry as a driver of innovation, sustainability and industrial competitiveness.

Taking place from 2 to 5 June 2026 in Hall 2 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, Expoquimia is expected to bring together 400 exhibitors — a 30 % increase on the previous 2023 edition. Exhibitor sales are advancing rapidly with strong participation from leading companies such as GasN₂, Labbox, Lleal, Técnica de Fluidos, BASF, Sener, Bachiller, Marchesini Group, VYC Industrial, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, PanReac AppliChem, Sefiltra, Telsta and Grupo WIKA. Expoquimia is also endorsed by the Spanish trade association FEIQUE and over 50 additional bodies, including Anque, Asegre, Bequinor, Labmas, Fluidex, Manageart, the Col·legi d’Enginyers de Catalunya and Stanpa.

Currently, the best-represented sectors are machinery and capital equipment, followed by pumps, valves and fluid handling; laboratory equipment and analytical instrumentation; basic chemicals and raw materials; engineering and automation; and pharmaprocess. The event’s offering is further enhanced by the inclusion of thermal processing, industrial and workplace safety, environmental technology and waste management, and the associative network and ecosystem-related entities. In terms of international participation, companies from Germany, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands are already confirmed.

At the same time, Expoquimia 2026 is developing an Innovation Hub within its exhibition area serve as the epicentre of innovation for the chemical and process industries. This dedicated space will bring together start-ups, universities, spin‑offs, research centres, and technological institutes to showcase their work, foster collaboration and accelerate  knowledge transfer and business opportunities.

Demand-Driven Orientation
Expoquimia’s Director, Xavier Pascual, emphasises the importance of aligning both the commercial offering and fair content closely with the actual needs of the industrial sectors using chemistry. “We aim to increase our impact across sectors including detergents, fast-moving consumer chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, renewable energies, water treatment, agrochemicals, food, automotive and plastics, among many others. Virtually every industrial sector will find innovative chemical solutions at Expoquimia to optimize their processes, make them more sustainable and enhance competitiveness. This is an opportunity they cannot afford to miss,” says Pascual.

To further enhance relevance, Expoquimia is giving voice to its client industries through the Industry Showcase conference forum. First introduced in the previous edition, this forum will expand in 2026 to present real-world experiences and success stories from industrial companies that use the solutions exhibited at the fair. The goal is to inspire transformation, share practical knowledge, and foster new business synergies.

The programme will focus on four thematic pillars: energy and the energy transition, with an emphasis on decarbonisation; industrial water and sustainable water resource management; materials and ingredients for efficient, circular production processes; and digital transformation and technological innovation.

During the forum, four standout “Best in Class” cases will be presented in depth — industrial success stories from diverse sectors in which chemistry has acted as a catalyst for transformation. Projects will be selected based on their innovation, transformative impact, commitment to sustainability and ability to transfer knowledge. The call for “Best in Class” submissions is open until 30 September.

Enhancing Knowledge
For the first time, Expoquimia will host an Engineers Day, dedicated to showcasing the critical role of engineering in driving innovation and sustainability within the chemical industry and process sectors. In addition, it will launch an International Programme tailored to overseas visitors, featuring business meetings with exhibitors, sessions on best practices related to solution implementation, and activities aimed at commercial opportunities in strategic markets.

Expoquimia will also host key sector events, including Smart Chemistry, —a forum organized by FEIQUE— which, in this edition, will focus on the Green Industry Deal. Chemical innovation plays a pivotal role in developing technologies and processes for decarbonisation and strengthening industrial competitiveness—crucial elements in realising the objectives of the European Green Deal and advancing strategic autonomy.

Furthermore, Expoquimia will host the 16th Mediterranean Congress of Chemical Engineering (MECCE), which will underscore the contributions of chemical engineering to global sustainability goals. For the first time, over 300 congress participants will have the opportunity to take part in expert-led thematic tours, enabling direct interaction between science, business and technology. The schedule will also feature other sessions and activities organised by relevant sector associations and organisations in Spain.

One of Expoquimia’s key highlights will be the Gala Dinner on 3 June, held at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). More than 700 guests will attend, including senior executives from the chemical and plastics industries, as well as institutional, economic and social stakeholders. The keynote address will be delivered by Katja Scharpwinkel, Vice‑President of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and member of the Executive Committee of BASF SE. The dinner will also feature presentations of the “Best in Class” awards, recognising the most disruptive projects featured in the Industry Showcase.

In Tandem with Equiplast
In 2026, Expoquimia will run concurrently with Equiplast, the International Meeting on Plastics and Rubber, which will showcase innovative and sustainable solutions aimed at reducing the environmental impact of plastics within the framework of a circular economy. Together, these two events will form a major joint exhibition platform featuring over 800 exhibitor companies and nearly 21,000 professional visitors. This convergence reinforces synergies between the chemical and plastics industries—two closely aligned sectors in terms of innovation, sustainability and technological development.

Barcelona, 18th June 2025

Images from the 2023 edition available here

Maria Dolors Herranz
Tel. 34 93 233 2541
mdherranz@firabarcelona.com