11 Jun 2026
,Spain
Xylexpo 2026 will return to Fiera Milano-Rho from 9 to 12 June, bringing the twenty-eighth edition of the international biennial dedicated to machinery, plants and technologies for wood and furniture processing to halls 14 and 18 of the Milan exhibition centre. The event takes place during a phase of marked transformation for the manufacturing sector, grappling with new production models, increasing digitalisation and an increasingly complex demand from global markets.
The 2026 edition will be presented in a more contained format than in the past: the organisers expect around 150 exhibitors spread over 15,000 square metres, a scale partly influenced by the temporary reorganisation of exhibition spaces required by ongoing works for the Milano-Cortina Olympics.
The central theme of Xylexpo 2026 will be multimateriality, namely the progressive integration of wood, composite materials, plastics and new surfaces within industrial processes. The furniture, interior design and industrial component sectors are increasingly turning to solutions that combine different materials in the search for superior performance, greater sustainability and broader customisation possibilities.
In this direction, “Composites Future”, a conference-exhibition hosted in hall 18 and dedicated to composite materials and related processing technologies, will be held in collaboration with Assocompositi. The initiative will be developed in synergy with Plast 2026, the international biennial for plastics and rubber, scheduled at the same time in the adjacent spaces. The convergence of the two events reflects a structural change already underway in the manufacturing industry, increasingly oriented towards overcoming traditional boundaries between distinct material supply chains.
The context in which the sector operates is anything but simple. According to Dario Corbetta, director of Xylexpo, the wood technology sector is going through “a season of profound transformation”, marked by new geopolitical balances, the evolution of production models and the growth of emerging industrial economies. Companies in the sector are called upon to face complex challenges in terms of internationalisation, digitalisation of production lines and constantly growing demand for automated solutions.
Xylexpo aims to respond to these needs by strengthening its international profile through incoming missions of foreign operators from over 25 countries, organised in collaboration with ICE Agenzia. The most dynamic geographical areas include Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, India and the Americas.
Xylexpo Arena, the space dedicated to meetings, talk shows, seminars and technical insights for supply chain operators, will also return. The content will also be accessible remotely via the Xylexpo Digital platform, extending the reach of the event beyond the physical boundaries of the fair. Italy’s wood technology industry, a sector historically export-oriented and deeply internationalised, thus looks to Milan as a privileged stage for redefining processes, materials and business models in a rapidly evolving global market.
