The live return of IPACK-IMA, the first international exhibition for the processing and packaging sector in 2022, represented the synthesis of the best technological solutions in terms of research and innovation. Solutions that had remained in the plants for years and were finally unveiled at Fiera Milano to an international audience that responded very well in terms of quality and quantity.

IPACK-IMA 2022 marks the success of an exhibition model based on cross-contamination between related disciplines, applications and business ecosystems, which confirms the event as an essential moment of networking at an international level. The marketing approach, focused on specialisation in business communities carefully designed to guarantee industry players an effective experience in identifying the best answer to their needs, proved successful.

Sustainability and digitalisation are the macro-trends that emerged from this edition of IPACK-IMA, where over 2,000 product and process innovations that will shape the production dynamics of the next few years in the food and non-food sectors were presented.

Content and innovation also featured in the more than 25 update and networking events, including the international forum Packaging Speaks Green, which took stock of the green revolution in the packaging industry, the Best Packaging innovation awards and the World Star Awards, the most important international contest for the industry, as well as the IPACK-IMA Smart Factory and IPACK-IMA Digital, which transported the visitor into a real manufacturing experience of the future.

A journey through the most innovative materials was offered by IPACK-Mat, a project that showcased all packaging materials with over 180 exhibitors and a special area dedicated to smart and eco-design-inspired packaging in cooperation with CONAI, IPACK-Mat’s main partner and a key player in the circularity paradigm.

IPACK-IMA went beyond our best expectations: with 1,166 exhibitors, 24% of whom from abroad, 59,837 professional operators visiting from over 122 countries, and almost 400 accredited international trade journalists

«Observing the stands of our exhibitors animated by visitors from all over the world, motivated to request information on innovative technologies, present their projects and discuss production needs for food, beverage, confectionery, pasta, but also for chemical-pharmaceutical products, industrial and durable goods, is of great satisfaction for us.» – states Rossano Bozzi, CEO of Ipack Ima Srl. «Considering the path that brought us to the show, IPACK-IMA went beyond our best expectations: with 1,166 exhibitors, 24% of whom from abroad, 59,837 professional operators visiting from over 122 countries, and almost 400 accredited international trade journalists, we can say that we have achieved an important result in terms of innovation, sustainability, business opportunities and technology transfer, in line with IPACK-IMA’s mission which, let’s not forget, is rooted in the Italian industrial tradition. We have been catalysing the creativity and innovation of our exhibitors since the 1960s, to push the market towards solutions that are always cutting-edge and able to anticipate trends, responding to the needs of constantly evolving customers all over the world«.

The life sciences market also played a significant role at this edition of IPACK-IMA, thanks to the verticalization dedicated to the chemical-pharmaceutical world offered by Pharmintech, an event organised by Ipack Ima thanks to the agreement signed with Bologna Fiere Group and specialised in process and packaging solutions for the chemical & pharmaceutical industry. The simultaneity, for the first time, of the two events in a single exhibition was a further example of synergy between complementary industrial sectors united by the thin thread of innovation.

«Pharmintech has complemented the technological proposal of IPACK-IMA 2022, which represents an industrial excellence that is not always adequately exploited in Italy,» – says Valerio Soli, President of Ipack Ima Srl. «With more than 8 billion in total turnover and exports exceeding 70%, our sector can rightly be considered one of the country’s locomotives. It is no coincidence that the exhibitors gave life to a lively event, rich in ideas and extraordinary for networking and business opportunities. With the awareness that we have overcome a certainly not easy moment and thanks to the success of this edition, we have already set the dates for the next IPACK-IMA, scheduled in 2025 at the end of May, when we will be back to offer the most advanced processing, packaging and durable goods manufacturers all over the world. We therefore look forward to meeting all industry players at IPACK-IMA 2025, scheduled for 27-30 May.»

IPACK-IMA will once again be part of The Innovation Alliance project and will be held again in 2025 at Fiera Milano at the same time as Print4All, GreenPlast and Intralogistica Italia to represent the entire production chain in a single event with strong international appeal. A successful format widely appreciated by the over 1,600 exhibitors and 90,000 professional operators who have confirmed in the 2022 edition the attractiveness of a winning event dedicated to a strategic sector such as instrumental mechanics.