With more than 400 exhibiting companies, the show has established itself as the benchmark trade fair for the plastics sector
Equiplast grows in 2026 and focuses on sustainability for the future of the industry
After 40 years of experience and 13 editions, Equiplast reinforces its position as a key event for the plastics industry with a clearly growing edition, which will bring together more than 400 exhibitors from a total of 16 countries, 12% more than in 2023. This year the show, which once again coincides with Expoquimia, adds to its exhibition proposal a congress programme focused on the great challenges of the sector, including sustainability and digitalisation.
Among the exhibitors that have confirmed their participation are companies such as AGI, Alimatic, Albis, AR Sistemas, Arburg, Bada, BMB, Centrotécnica, Comercial Douma, Coscollola, Engel, Epsan, Gravipes, Guztec Polymers, Haitian Iberica, Hasco, Husyca, Hydropyc, Imvolca, Mecasonic, Mircan, Negribossi, Netstal, Pena Grup, Promak Solutions, Protecnic, Raorsa, Tecnopol Snetor, Ultrapolymers, Unnox Group, WTS‑Wapf Technological Solutions, Wittmann and Wursi Group.
The exhibition offer, which also grows by 13% in surface area to around 12,500 m2, will cover plastic extrusion and transformation machinery, automation equipment and systems, raw materials and additives, peripherals, parts and components, as well as a prominent presence in the mould and die sector. The field of the environment and recycling will also play a significant role, along with software and automation solutions, semi-finished products and specialised services, reflecting the technological and sustainable evolution of the sector.
Great international projection
Of the more than 400 companies participating in the commercial offer, about a third will be international, reflecting the growing attractiveness of the event among machinery manufacturers, transformers and industrial solution providers specializing in plastics and rubber. Among the countries that will be represented at the fair are China, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Turkey, France and the Netherlands.
Likewise, Equiplast 2026 will strengthen its international dimension through a hosted buyers program, developed in collaboration with ICEX Spain Export and Investment. The initiative will attract professionals from Turkey, Algeria, Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala with specific investment projects, markets of great interest for Spanish companies in the sector due to their high demand for technology and industrial solutions linked to plastic transformation.
Rethinking Plastic: circularity and innovation
One of the main novelties of Equiplast 2026 will be the premiere of Rethinking Plastic, the new congress of the show, which will take place over the four days of the fair with more than 30 sessions and the participation of a hundred speakers. The programme is structured around four main axes: circular economy, recycling, advanced materials and digitalisation, and seeks to give visibility to good practices and real cases involving companies using plastic solutions in different industrial sectors.
The first day will be dedicated to sustainability and the circular economy, with content focused on the reuse of packaging, waste recovery, industrial symbiosis and the updating of the regulatory framework, with special attention to the management of microplastics and the new regulations on pellets. Among other entities, ESPLÁSTICOS, Spanish Association of Plastics Manufacturers (ANAIP), PlasticsEurope, the Tarragona Chemical Business Association (AEQT), the Waste Cluster of Catalonia (CREC), as well as companies such as Veolia and Reyde Grupo Armando Álvarez will participate in this block.
The following sessions will address mechanical and chemical recycling technologies, new materials and advanced plastics, as well as digitalisation as a lever for competitiveness. The programme will feature the participation of organisations such as AIMPLAS, the Gaiker Foundation, ANARPLA, Eurecat, Indresmat, the Spanish Plastics Centre (CEP) and organisations linked to automation and energy efficiency, showing how innovation in plastics impacts sectors such as packaging, automotive, construction and health.
The Rethinking Plastic space will be completed with an exhibition of products made from sustainable and biodegradable plastic, designed to show the diversity of applications of a material with multiple life cycles, and with a networking area aimed at facilitating the exchange of knowledge and the generation of new opportunities for collaboration.
Success stories
Equiplast 2026 also wants to be an occasion to recognize the best practices in the sector. In this regard, this year the show will present a Best-in-Class award to SEAT & CUPRA, for its innovative circular strategy in the production of plastic parts with new materials and biopolymers. Specifically, the car company promotes the use of recycled and renewable materials, such as SEAQUAL® YARN, derived from plastics recovered from the sea, or the Dinamica® microfibre, made with 73% recycled polyester through a water-based process, among others.
This award for the Volkswagen Group’s automotive brand, which will be presented during Rethinking Plastic, joins the Expoquimia Best-in-Class, which distinguishes Moeve, L’Oréal Groupe, Lefance and Almirall. All the awards will be presentedjointly within the framework of the Expoquimia Dinner Gala, reinforcing the shared visionof both shows in favour of a moresustainable, efficient and circular industry.
On the other hand, Equiplast will also convene the Rethinking Plastic Awards, which will recognize the most innovative and sustainable products exhibited in the showroom in the categories of packaging, automotive and mobility, consumer product and textile; and construction and furniture. The show will also pay a sectoral tribute to several Spanish plastic companies, entities and professionals, recognising their career and contribution to both the industry and the show.
Joint celebration with Expoquimia
Equiplast will once again be held together with Expoquimia, the International Meeting of Chemistry and Process Industries, reinforcing the synergies between both sectors. The coincidence of the two shows will allow professionals to access a transversal offer that connects chemistry, materials and industrial transformation processes, and that reflects the close interdependence between both industries in areas such as innovation, sustainability and the circular economy.
Together, Expoquimia and Equiplast plan to bring together more than 800 exhibitors and attract some 21,000 professionals from 2 to 5 June at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, consolidating the city as one of the main industrial hubs in southern Europe and Fira de Barcelona as an international platform of reference for the chemical and plastics industry.
Barcelona, April 28, 2026
Maria Dolores Herranz / Josep Lluís Mérida
Tel. 932 332 541 – 114
[email protected]
[email protected]