ECOMONDO 2026 OPENED TODAY WITH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER PICHETTO FRATIN AND A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM ENTERPRISE MINISTER URSO. FROM RIMINI: THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IS KEY TO INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS
- Pichetto Fratin: this is where the transition takes shape. Urso: Italian leadership in the circular economy. Ermeti: Ecomondo, a leading platform for businesses
- Speaking at the opening ceremony were Maurizio Ermeti, President of IEG; Jamil Sadegholvaad, Mayor of Rimini; Fabrizio Lobasso, Deputy Director-General for Growth and Export Promotion - Central Director for the ‘Sistema Italia’ and Investments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Maurizio Forte, Central Director for Export Sectors at the Italian Trade Agency; and Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region
- The 15th edition of the States General of the Green Economy is underway
Rimini, 3rd November 2026 – As of today, Rimini is the global stage for the circular economy.
The 29th edition of Ecomondo, an Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) event, has begun and will be ongoing until Friday at the Expo Centre reaffirming its status as the leading international platform for the green, blue and circular economies.
Ecomondo 2026 was inaugurated in the presence of the Hon. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, and with a video message from Adolfo Urso, the Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy.
The ceremony was opened by the President of IEG, Maurizio Ermeti, who said: “The green economy is becoming increasingly strategic for the growth and competitiveness of the national industrial system and Ecomondo is at the forefront of this transformation. One of our great success stories, it has established a leading role at European level and is now becoming increasingly important for international markets. From Rimini to the world, it is the industrial platform of reference for businesses, institutions, research organisations, policy-makers and every key player in the circular and regenerative economy. We will continue to invest in this direction with vision, determination and confidence in the future.”
“Ecomondo is a top-level, European and global showcase for innovative technologies and solutions that combine environmental sustainability, industrial development and competitiveness. Sustainability is not just about protecting the environment, it is also about innovation and growth opportunities for our production and manufacturing sectors. The transition should not be seen as a set of constraints, but as developing and directing production and consumption models towards greater efficiency, such as making better use of resources, reducing waste and creating value with a lower impact on ecosystems. Ecomondo is the place where this vision takes shape through the exchange of ideas and the promotion of best practices,” said Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister for the Environment and Energy Security.
“Sustainability is no longer merely an environmental issue; it also concerns industry and geopolitics. In the global competition for raw materials, energy and technologies, the ability to make the most of resources is a decisive factor for competitiveness. Italy can count on solid leadership in the circular economy, but the challenge of reducing dependence on foreign sources for the supply of materials is still central. This is why we have made circularity an industrial policy, also in regard to critical raw materials. Ecomondo is the place where innovation and the environment come together to find solutions for transforming this leadership into a competitive advantage, strengthening Italian industrial sovereignty and European strategic autonomy,” said Adolfo Urso, Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, speaking via video message.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Jamil Sadegholvaad, Mayor of Rimini; Fabrizio Lobasso, Deputy Director-General for Growth and Export Promotion – Central Director for the ‘Sistema Italia’ and Investments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Maurizio Forte, Central Director for Export Sectors at the Italian Trade Agency (ICE); and Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The ceremony was followed by the opening of the 15th edition of the States General of the Green Economy, organised by the Foundation for Sustainable Development in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and under the patronage of the European Commission and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy.
Today’s plenary session featured the presentation of the 2026 Report on the State of the Green Economy. Tomorrow will see the international plenary session entitled “Green economy perspectives in an unpredictable global scenario”, in collaboration with Italy for Climate and with a real-time analysis of the key dynamics of the ecological transition at a global level.
The 29th edition of Ecomondo consolidates the event’s steady growth. Spread across 30 halls and a 170,000 square metres of exhibition area, the event features over 1,800 exhibiting brands (with a 19% increase in those from abroad) and, through collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency for the promotion and internationalisation of Italian companies abroad (ICE), more than 1,000 buyers hosted from Europe, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, South-East Asia, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America and Latin America. Furthermore, over 60 representatives from international associations and numerous associate members will also be in attendance from various countries around the world, including Egypt, Morocco, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Spain and South Africa. Added to these are 14 international trade delegations from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland, representing over 100 companies; Mexico, as Ecomondo’s first ever guest country; and a new area specifically for business and networking with African associations.
Unmissable events scheduled for tomorrow include:
· Forum on Responsible Communication (5th edition): communication on a razor’s edge – The sustainable transition between environmental urgency and social cohesion, organised by Ecomondo’s Technical Scientific Committee and Ferpi and with the participation of the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security and the Emilia-Romagna Order of Journalists.
· Finance: “Climate transition plans for ESG risk management: what role for companies and investors?”, organised by Ecomondo’s TSC with the Sustainable Investment Forum.
· Paper District GDO & Grocery Summit organised by Ecomondo’s TSC, Largo Consumo and the Paper and Graphics Federation.
· “Circular Economy and Defence: Italian and European industry between needs and opportunities”, organised by Ecomondo’s TSC and Cisambiente Confindustria.
· Healthy and circular cities: “Scaling the circular economy in the built environment: urban mining”, organised by Ecomondo’s TSC with the Green Building Council Italy and the Polytechnic University of the Marche, and “Smart Circular Cities” with Bologna University.
• Regulatory landscape: “Closing the loop in waste management: the new challenges of the
Circular Economy Act”, organised by Ecomondo’s TSC with UTILITALIA.
The full programme of Ecomondo 2026 events is available on the following link: www.ecomondo.com/eventi
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
Ecomondo 2026 is organised by Italian Exhibition Group with the collaboration of: the European Commission; UNIDO ITPO; Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI); Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy; Italian Trade Agency for the promotion and internationalisation of Italian companies abroad (ICE); Emilia-Romagna Region; Rimini Municipal Council; ANFIA (National Automotive Industry Association); ART-ER; Assoambiente; CBE JU (Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking); CIB (Italian Biogas Consortium); CIC (Italian Composter Consortium); CIHEAM (International Centre For Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies); CONAI (National Packaging Consortium); EBA (European Biogas Association); ENEA; ESWET (European Supplier of Waste-to-Energy Technologies); European Environment Agency; FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization); FEAD (European Waste Management Association); Sustainable Development Foundation; ISPRA (Environmental Protection and Research Institute); ISWA (International Solid Waste Association); Legambiente; OECD; RECYCLING EUROPE; UNACEA (National Union of Construction Equipment & Attachments Companies); UNICIRCULAR (Assoambiente section); UTILITALIA; Water Europe.
ABOUT ECOMONDO 2026
Event: International trade show; Organisation: Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A.; Frequency: annual; Edition: 29th; Dates: 3-6 November 2026; mail: ; Website: www.ecomondo.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/EcomondoRimini; LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/ecomondo-the-green-technologies-expo
PRESS CONTACT IEG/ECOMONDO 2026
head of media & corporate communication: Elisabetta Vitali; press office manager: Pier Francesco Bellini, Marco Forcellini ; international press office coordinator: Silvia Giorgi; press office coordinator: Luca Paganin; press office specialists: Nicoletta Evangelisti, Mirko Malgieri;
MEDIA AGENCY IEG/ECOMONDO: Smartitaly Communications
Sara Scatena, , mob. +39 338 7836985; Francesca Pericolo, , mob. +39 327 986 1860.
Stampa estera – Giacomo Tortora, +39 320 7948164 –
This press release contains forecast elements and estimates that reflect the management´s current opinions (´forward-looking statements´), particularly regarding future management performance, realization of investments, cash flow trends and the evolution of the financial structure. For their very nature, forward-looking statements have a component of risk and uncertainty, as they depend on the occurrence of future events. The effective results may differ (even significantly) from those announced, due to numerous factors, including, only by way of example: food service market and tourist flow trends in Italy, gold and jewellery market trends, green economy market trends; the evolution of raw material prices; general macroeconomic conditions; geopolitical factors and evolutions in the legislative framework. Moreover, the information contained in this release, does not claim to be complete, and has not been verified by independent third parties. Forecasts, estimates and objectives contained herein are based on the information available to the Company as at the date of this release.
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