Expoquimia’26 brought together the decision-makers of the main companies in the sector

82.3% of those attending Expoquimia 2026 participate in the purchasing processes of their companies, either by making decisions, sharing them or exercising prescription tasks, according to a study by the consulting firm MarketAAD. The fair, held last June, brought together a qualified professional visitor, close to the production environments and with a leading role in the transformation of the chemical and process industry, as well as attracting a large part of the most important companies in the national market.

This year, Expoquimia registered a total of 14,544 visitors, which represents an increase of 13% compared to the 2023 edition, mainly belonging to companies in the chemical industry, technical engineering and chemical application industries, as well as professional profiles directly related to production, innovation and the development of new industrial processes.

With regard to the companies of origin of the visitors, the study reflects the event’s ability to convene among the most relevant firms in the Spanish market. Thus, Expoquimia reached a coverage of 63% of the one hundred main pharmaceutical companies in the country, 60% of the leaders in basic chemistry and 44% of perfumery and cosmetics companies.

Business attendance was led by companies from the chemical industry, which accounted for 43% of the total, together with technical engineering companies (22%) and chemical application industries (14%), consolidating the show’s position as a meeting point of reference for the main industrial sectors linked to chemistry and production processes.

The director of Expoquimia, Xavier Pascual, considers that these data show “a clear correspondence between the fair’s offer and the needs of the chemical industry and its client sectors, in addition to consolidating Expoquimia as the space where companies identify solutions, share knowledge and make decisions to face innovation challenges,  sustainability and competitiveness of the sector”.

Great weight of the Mediterranean arc

A vast majority of those attending Expoquimia, specifically 92.7%, are national, a proportion that remains stable compared to previous editions and in which the main poles of the national chemical industry continue to be the protagonists. In fact, if we add the visitors from the entire Mediterranean arc, which includes the main poles of the country’s chemical sector, the proportion of total visitors is close to 90%.

At the same time, the MarketAAD study also identifies a slight growth in international visitors, going from 6.6% three years ago to 7.3% in 2026; a proportion in which the predominant nationalities are from countries in the immediate vicinity, such as Italy, Portugal, France and Germany.

Decision-making power

The profile of the visitor to Expoquimia actively participates in the purchase decision processes of its companies. Thus, 30.5% of visitors to Expoquimia directly approve the purchase of products or solutions, another 30.5% participate in the decision together with other people and 21.3% suggest or prescribe it. Only 17.7% declare that they do not intervene in this process.

Compared to previous editions, Expoquimia 2026 maintains the presence of senior managers and reinforces the weight of technical and specialised profiles, as well as area or department directors, evidencing a greater involvement of profiles directly linked to production and innovation. Specifically, the predominant profile of the attendees was made up of technicians (22.6%) and middle managers or managers (22.6%), followed by engineers (15.7%) and managers, CEOs or managers (13.1%), which reinforces the professional and highly specialised character of the show’s audience.

As for the departments represented, the commercial, R+D and innovation and production areas stand out, along with profiles linked to laboratory, maintenance and purchasing, reflecting the transversality of the show in industrial processes.

Interests and objectives of the visit

In terms of visitors’ interests, basic chemistry and raw materials (48%), engineering and automation (38.4%) and laboratory equipment (30.9%) stand out, which shows the alignment between the exhibition offer and the current priorities of the industry.

The main reason for visiting is to learn about new products, suppliers and solutions for future industrial applications (41.3%), followed by updating knowledge on new market trends (13.9%) and generating professional contacts.

As for the congress aspect of Expoquimia, the contents focused on sustainability, efficient resource management and technological innovation concentrated the greatest interest of the attendees, which materialized in a notable participation in spaces such as Industry Showcase, the International Meeting Point and the Mediterranean Congress of Chemical Engineering.

Expoquimia 2026 was held alongside Equiplast, the international plastics and rubber trade show, jointly bringing together 800 exhibitors and 20,794 visitors, 10% more than at the previous edition. This co-location, together with the synergies between the chemical and plastics industries in areas such as materials, circular economy and industrial transformation, encouraged cross-attendance by professionals at both events.

The next edition of Expoquimia will be held in May 2029 at the Gran Via venue, coinciding again with Equiplast.

Barcelona, July 16, 2026

Josep Lluís Mérida / Maria Dolores Herranz
Tel. 93 233 21 14- 25 41
[email protected]
[email protected]