From left to right: Bruno Cueto (Plastilit), Josimar Sartori (Tramontina Eletrik), Julia Lauer (ITA/ICE), Flávio Venzon (Sulbrás), Eduardo Uhmann (HERC) and Fabio Maurer (Tramontina Cutelaria)

June, 23, 2026 - Held in Milan, Italy, from June 9 to 12, the 20th edition of PLAST trade fair drew a strong attendance of professionals from the plastics and rubber industry coming from various regions of Italy as well as numerous other countries across Europe and other continents.

The event, which took place concurrently with the Xylexpo and Composites Future trade fairs, featured over 1,000 Italian and international exhibitors and occupied six halls at the Fiera Milano complex in Rho, corresponding to one of the world's largest exhibitions dedicated to technologies for processing plastics and rubber materials.

For this year's edition, ITA (Italian Trade Agency -The Italian government agency dedicated to trade promotion and investment abroad) actively promoted PLAST 2026 overseas in partnership with AMAPLAST (the Italian Plastics and Rubber Processing Machinery and Moulds Manufacturers' Association). Together, they organized delegations accounting for more than 300 professional buyers that came from 25 countries to attend the fair in Milan.

ITA’s Brazilian office in São Paulo organized a mission of Brazilian professionals from the plastics sector to visit PLAST 2026 and explore the latest innovations launched by world-leading companies exhibiting at Fiera Milano. During the event, the Brazilian professionals held a series of business meetings with potential suppliers and also visited facilities of exhibiting companies. Buyers from Tramontina, Sulbrás, Herc, and Plastilit participated in the mission.

“Italy’s largest plastics trade fair delivered an unequivocal message in 2026: the smart factory has moved beyond the conceptual stage to become a commercial product. AI ​​systems, which detects defects in injection-molded parts in real time and suggests automatic corrections, symbolized this shift, making its debut at Fiera Milano. My takeaway for Sulbras is straightforward: partners have been identified, the technology exists, and prices are competitive. Any company that fails to digitize its plant floor within the next three years will fall short of the standards demanded by the global market,” states Flavio Venzon, Industrial Director at Sulbras Plásticos e Moldes, who took part in the Brazilian delegation.

According to Josimar Sartori, Production and Plastic Materials Development Supervisor at Tramontina Eletrik, attending Plast 2026 was a strategic move that facilitated valuable meetings with key equipment and raw material suppliers. Sartori said: “Highlighting the excellence of the Italian industry, the technological advancements displayed by exhibitors have allowed us to outline potential partnerships and innovative projects — steps that will be crucial in making Tramontina Eletrik even more competitive and a market benchmark. This entire exploring process went smoothly thanks to the support of an exceptionally well-organized delegation, which was essential for focusing our efforts and maximizing high-level networking opportunities.”

Fabio Maurer, a tool designer at Tramontina Cutelaria and also a member of the delegation, commented: “Immersing ourselves in the technologies showcased at Plast 2026 gave us a close-up look at automation and advanced robotics solutions that can be directly applied to optimize our internal processes, further elevating Tramontina Cutelaria’s quality standards and productivity. Additionally, connecting Tramontina directly with the world’s leading technology developers in Italy provided us with a clear vision of the sector's future. The insights gained and business contacts established at the fair will certainly provide support for our upcoming strategic decisions.”

For Eduardo Uhmann, Engineering Supervisor at HERC Plastics Industries, the experience of visiting the event was extremely enriching and showed the very high level of technology and excellence of the exhibitors at the event. According to Eduardo, “the trade fair was a key strategic opportunity for HERC, enabling us to identify new suppliers and gain direct exposure to cutting-edge innovations that drive industrial efficiency. Beyond the contact with new technologies, the event provided us with the ideal environment to explore and develop solid partnerships, which will be essential for the continuous improvement of our processes.”

Bruno Cueto, Operational Chain Coordinator at Plastilit, noted that his participation in the Brazilian delegation allowed him to identify state-of-the-art technologies in extrusion, injection molding, and compounding - all of them essential to Plastilit’s expansion roadmap. “We focused on high-performance solutions integrated to Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy developments, aiming to optimize OEE and energy efficiency across our plants. Networking with Italian manufacturers strengthened strategic partnerships that will underpin our technological competitiveness in the long run,” Bruno stated.

Julia Lauer, a representative of the ITA/ICE office in São Paulo, coordinated the mission. Brazilianplastics.com covered the trade fair.

According to data compiled by Centro Studi MECS-AMAPLAST, based on statistics from ISTAT (Italy's National Institute of Statistics), the Italian industry for machinery, equipment, and moulds for plastics and rubber processing closed 2024 with a turnover exceeding €4.82 billion, which corresponds to a 1.4% growth compared with the previous year. Exports reached €3.62 billion, accounting for over 74% of total production and cementing Italy's status as a leading global exporter of technology for the sector.

Brazil remains a strategic market for the Italian plastics and rubber machinery industry. In 2024, Italian exports to Brazil grew by 86% compared to 2023, surpassing €120 million - a record-breaking figure driven primarily by demand for high-tech equipment. This performance confirms Brazil's position as a key Latin American destination for Italian plastics and rubber processing technology, amidst a landscape of increasing industrial modernization, production process automation, energy efficiency, and the pursuit of sustainable solutions for the circular economy.