The curtain opens at the 22nd edition of IPACK-IMA

ITALY – A comprehensive display of machinery, technology and materials for food processing and packaging is currently on display at IPACK-IMA, open until Saturday, 3 March, in Milan, Italy.

The 22^nd edition of IPACK-IMA opened on 28 February, showcasing 1,300 exhibitors – 35% of which are from 35 countries around the world – spread over seven exhibition halls.

The large number of exhibitors has been matched by an equally striking visitor pre-registration count: one week from the opening, pre-registered visitors amounted to 26,000, 19% of which are from outside of Italy.

IPACK-IMA works across ten industrial sectors: packaging machinery – the very core of the show – followed by food processing technology, fresh and dried pasta machinery, packaging materials, labelling and traceability solutions, industrial logistics and the exhibition’s new exhibit category, package printing, which meets growing communication and product information needs.

Paolo Barilla, whose name is closely connected to Italy’s world leadership in the food industry, is the president of this edition, which underlines IPACK-IMA’s undisputed role in Grain Based Food.

Concurrent events
Fieramilano will host several prominent guests over five exhibition days. The opening press conference will feature astronaut Paolo Nespoli, the first Italian to complete a long-term mission in space. Through an account of his experience in space, Nespoli will talk about the role of advanced technology in food preservation and safety, transportation of liquids and beverages, labelling and traceability in the most extreme conditions.

Another illustrious guest will be Giovanni Rana, a world-renowned industrialist. He will participate in an event discussing fresh pasta-making technology, for which IPACK-IMA is the standard-setting event and ranks among the world’s leaders in dried pasta systems.

Institutional guests will include the leaders of United Nations agencies IFAD, FAO, UNIDO and WFP. They will all gather on 1 March at the international conference titled “Enhancing Food Safety and Food Security in Africa”, discussing the importance of technology as a solution to world hunger.

Specific thematic routes ensure visibility to cross-sector technology such as traceability. The 220 exhibitors active in this industry have been organized into the “Labeltrack” route, showcasing top-range technology and solutions for product labeling, coding, marking and traceability. In addition, industrial automation systems also make up a specific thematic route involving 215 companies.

IPACK-IMA also includes a string of events and meetings, including the Packaging Oscar ceremony; and a “Planning the future. Packaging is quality of life” showcase featuring the participation of prestigious universities and organized in partnership with Conai - National Packaging Consortium.

There are also three “Innovation Corners”, where 60 exhibiting companies will present pioneering technological solutions.

The exhibition organizers added, “It is also noteworthy to mention the important acknowledgement coming from IPPO journalists (International Packaging Press Organization), who have chosen IPACK-IMA as their exclusive exhibition of reference in Italy.

“With our exhibition of top-notch technology, a comprehensive product display, and great international reach, IPACK-IMA is indeed a magnet for many an industrial sector dealing with food and non-food products.”