Ecomondo 2026: A global stage for the circular economy

With an increasingly cross-sectorial perspective, thanks to the participation of a growing number of vertical communities and the presence of ever more innovative technologies for the ecological transition, the 29th edition of Ecomondo reaffirms its role as the ecosystem of reference for industries, institutions, research organisations and policymakers ready to discuss the major industrial and environmental transformations that are redefining global markets. The event, organised by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), will be back from 3rd to 6th November at Rimini Expo Centre with an even greater international profile, thanks in part to collaboration with new public and private European and international institutional partners and their contributions to enriching the event’s conference programme. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2026 EDITION 

• Record Expo Centre occupancy: approximately 170,000 m2 of exhibition space and 30 halls. 
• More than 1,800 exhibiting brands expected with a 17% increase in foreign exhibitors compared to 2025. 
• More than 1,000 hosted buyers from Europe, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, Southeast Asia, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America and Latin America, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) for the promotion and internationalisation of Italian companies abroad. Over 60 representatives from international associations and numerous member organisations from Ecomondo’s product sectors. The various countries in attendance will include Egypt, Morocco, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Spain and South Africa.
• Ecomondo will have a guest country for the first time: Mexico. 
• New layout: an exhibition space entirely for textiles will be making its debut in Hall D2, a strategic international hub for supply chain stakeholders. 
• Created by Ecomondo in collaboration with the Hera Group and SCART – The beautiful and useful side of waste, ahead of the European Waste Reduction Week, The Shade of Circularity art installation will be assembled in the entrance: a large rainbow which, through the language of art and seven colours, represents the complexity of the textile supply chain and the sector’s main challenges. A first tangible step in Ecomondo’s broader commitment to supporting the sector’s transition to a circular economy. 
• In Hall B8, a first-time feature: the Africa Investment HUB for African associations’ networking and business meetings. 
• An area in the South Hall will once again host national institutions such as the Ministry of the 

Environment and Energy Security (MASE), the GSE – Energy Services Operator,  and the EmiliaRomagna Region, while Hall B5 will feature an area for international collectives from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland with over 100 companies taking part. 

• Over 70 events, conferences and workshops organised by Ecomondo’s International Technical Scientific Committee, chaired by Professor Fabio Fava, as well as further events organised by partners and exhibitors. 
• A strong focus on European policies, research and innovation for key industrial sectors, international cooperation and strengthening partnerships with the Mediterranean and Africa. The programme will include high-level in-depth discussions on developments in the European regulatory landscape, resource efficiency, packaging and the circular economy, sustainable textiles, the water cycle and the Blue Economy, paper recycling, finance, healthy and circular cities, the prevention and management of natural risks, soil restoration, the regenerative bioeconomy and bioenergy. 
• Further focuses will be on climate change and adaptation, how to build more resilient economic systems and territories, and environmental monitoring and Earth observation using the most innovative digital technologies. 
• The sixth edition of the Africa Green Growth Forum, organised in collaboration with the Task Force for the Implementation of the Presidential Council of Minister’s Mattei Plan, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo and RES4Africa will also be held. 
• Themed tours with over 500 free places available each day have also been confirmed. 
• The Innovation District will be back with 20 innovative start-ups and SMEs as well as the Green Jobs & Skills initiative to foster the encounter between labour supply and demand. The Lorenzo Cagnoni Awards for Green Innovation, assigned to the most advanced and promising technologies across Ecomondo’s various exhibition sectors, will once again be featured.   
• As part of BRAVI2026 (Brazilian AgriFoodTechs Innovation in Italy), a delegation of 11 Brazilian start-ups operating in the agri-food sector will be visiting Ecomondo. 

THE EXHIBITION ITINERARY: SECTORS AND THEMED AREAS 

In addition to the new Textile hall, Ecomondo 2026 will also be extending the Waste as Resource area and reorganising the Water Cycle & Blue Economy section with areas specifically for the most advanced solutions in the field of control systems for smart network monitoring and sustainable water resource management. 

The following sectors have been confirmed: Sites & Soil Restoration, Earth Observation and Environmental Monitoring, Bio-energy & Agriculture and Circular & Regenerative Bio-Economy, as well as the Blue Economy, Trenchless and Circular & Healthy City districts and, of course, the Innovation District. 

Furthermore, in collaboration with the Paper & Graphics Federation, Ecomondo will be dedicating a special focus to sustainability and circularity within the paper industry, featuring a high-calibre exhibition offer and themed workshops.  

THE STATES GENERAL OF THE GREEN ECONOMY 

The States General of the Green Economy, organised by the Foundation for Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, and under the patronage of the European Commission and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, will be held on the first two days of the event. 

On Tuesday 3rd November, the 2026 Report on the State of the Green Economy will be presented during the opening plenary session entitled “International drivers of the Green Economy in a challenging geopolitical context”. 

On Wednesday 4th November, the international plenary session “The geopolitics of the Green economy: a window to the world” in collaboration with Italy for Climate, will offer a real-time analysis of the main dynamics of the ecological transition at a global level.