Extrusion International 4-2026

12 Extrusion International 4/2026 INDUSTRY NEWS PLAST 2026 – An Edition Beyond Expactations The twentieth edition of PLAST, the international exhibition dedicated to the plastics and rubber industry, suc- cessfully ended on June 12th at Fiera Milano, Rho. Four intense days of ex- hibition con rmed the event's role as a benchmark for the sector, decisively overcoming the cautious outlook of the eve in a global geopolitical and macroeconomic context marked by se- vere uncertainties, trade tensions, and instability in international markets. The nal gures certify the success of the event: 35,000 attendees – with a signi cant share of foreign visitors equal to 25%, coming from 110 coun- tries – and over 1,000 exhibiting companies, 44% of which were inter - national. The entire event spanned an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters: an impactful result for a mar- ket undergoing a phase of profound transformation. A complete supply chain: from specialized halls to startup innovation The strength of PLAST 2026 certain- ly lay in its ability to capture a snap- shot of the entire supply chain. Great interest was generated by the satellite shows and thematic areas: RUBBER, the meeting point for the elastomer industry, organized in collaboration with Assogomma; 3D PLAST LAB, de- veloped with Indexlab – Politecnico di Milano, focusing on the frontiers of additive manufacturing; and PLAST MAT, the showcase dedicated to poly- meric materials. A fundamental added value in terms of new content was brought by the innovation ecosystem, thanks to the presence of around twenty Italian startups that presented cutting-edge solutions ready to be integrated into the manufacturing fabric to visitors. A quali ed audience and internationalization Among the most encouraging signs, the extremely high professional pro- le of the visitors stands out. Thanks to the enhancement of the strategic incoming project developed in collab- oration with ICE Agency, among the approximately 9,000 international op- erators visiting, the presence of over 350 selected foreign delegates must be highlighted, who con rmed the strong attractiveness and commercial centrality of the fair. Drawing the balance of this edition is MarioMaggiani, Managing Director of Promaplast: "We do not hide that our forecasts on the eve were marked by the utmost prudence. We feared far heavier repercussions of the global geopolitical situation on PLAST, which instead con rmed itself as a European point of reference for the plastics and rubber industry, restoring con dence to many of the exhibitors we met. The reality is that today the exhibition world, more than other sectors, is suf- fering the backlash of a diversi cation in ways of doing business, especially in the B2B eld; this is why we are diversifying the format of PLAST, not only through the addition of satellite shows but also by providing a confer- ence program capable of covering all facets of the supply chain and re- sponding to the updating needs of a rapidly evolving sector." He is echoed by Alessio Fineo, Head of the Exhibition Department at Pro- maplast: "From the opinions gathered at the fair, many have noted the qual- ity of the visitors and the delegations of foreign companies that showed in- terest in the products on display. The efforts of the entire team to promote PLAST generated results that went beyond expectations." A top-tier program of conferences and seminars Con rming the dynamism of the event was the success of the program of seminars and institutional confer- ences, which in some cases registered a full house. The rich educational and debate palimpsest was made possible thanks to the fundamental synergy with the main stakeholders and indus- trial partners of the sector. The appointment with the next edi- tion of PLAST is set for 2029, once again in the pavilions of Fiera Milano, Rho. The precise dates will be released later. PROMAPLAST srl www.plastonline.org Mario Maggiani, Managing Director of Promaplast Alessio Fineo, Head of the Exhibition Department at Promaplast