POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 2026: What We Saw in Nuremberg

The fair in figures

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM is organised by NürnbergMesse and is one of Europe's most important trade fairs for mechanical process engineering, analytics and the handling of powders and bulk solids — with its TECHNOPHARM part dedicated to pharmaceutical processing. According to the organiser's final report, the 2026 edition brought together:

• 397 exhibitors from 29 countries, 45 % of them from outside Germany
• around 6,000 trade visitors, 40 % of them international, from 66 countries
• around 90 % of visitors involved in investment or procurement decisions
• 96 % of visitors satisfied with their visit, and 93 % planning to return

Beyond the stands, the programme included themed areas such as Pharma in Focus, Recycling in Focus and Smart Industry in Focus, the VDMA special show "Clean Air – Smart Processing", a joint stand for young innovators and start-ups, and the POWTECH TECHNOPHARM Forum with stage talks.

The figure we find most telling is the share of decision-makers. This is not a fair for browsing — it is where engineers and buyers meet manufacturers to compare solutions for concrete projects.

Theme 1: Mixing, dispersion and drying

Mixing equipment was impossible to miss: large stainless-steel mixers, systems for dispersing powders into liquids, solid–liquid separation and fluid-bed drying were on display across the halls, from manufacturers such as amixon, Ystral, WAMGROUP, De Dietrich and Ventilex.

Many manufacturers in this field offer trials in their own test centres. That is good news for buyers — but it also means that offers are only comparable if they are based on the same material data and comparable test conditions.

Takeaway for buyers: before comparing prices, compare the basis of the offers: which material properties were assumed, which batch size, which degree of homogeneity and which cleaning concept.

Theme 2: Safety — explosion protection, dust and clean air

Wherever fine powders are handled, dust is both an explosion hazard and a health issue. Explosion venting, suppression and isolation, industrial vacuum systems, dust extraction and filtration occupied a large share of the exhibition space — fittingly, as the VDMA special show was dedicated to "Clean Air – Smart Processing". Among the exhibitors in this field were rsbp, Ruwac, Herding, steute and Kemper.

Takeaway for buyers: explosion protection is a system, not a component. Responsibilities between plant operator, equipment supplier and protection specialist need to be defined early — together with the dust explosion parameters of the actual product and a complete, consistent documentation chain.

Theme 3: Particle and powder analytics

Many problems in powder handling — bridging in silos, segregation, dusting, poor mixing results — can be traced back to material properties that were never measured properly. Instrument makers such as Anton Paar, Bettersize, Fritsch and BT-Online showed solutions for particle size and shape, flowability, cohesion, bulk and tapped density, automated sample handling and inline measurement for real-time process control.

Takeaway for buyers: measured material data is the foundation of a good specification. It makes supplier offers comparable and protects against oversized or undersized equipment. Where data is missing, a small analytics budget at the start of a project is usually money well spent.

Theme 4: Conveying, compressed air and energy

Pneumatic conveying, blowers and compressors determine a large part of a plant's operating costs. Kaeser Kompressoren and Aerzen presented compressors and blower technology, while numerous suppliers showed pneumatic conveying components, stainless steel pipe systems and automated big-bag filling.

Takeaway for buyers: the purchase price is paid once; energy costs every day. Ask for consumption figures at your own operating point, the conveying mode and velocity for your product, expected product degradation and wear, as well as options for speed control and heat recovery.

Theme 5: Pharma and containment

The TECHNOPHARM part of the fair brings together equipment for solid and liquid pharmaceutical production. We saw chemical-pharmaceutical process equipment (rubitec, Agierre), systems for water for injection (Bürkert), pharma handling solutions (Sacchi) and cryogenic grinding (Messer).

Takeaway for buyers: in pharma projects, the equipment is only half of the delivery. The other half is documentation — material certificates, surface specifications, support for cleaning validation and qualification documents. The scope of this documentation package belongs in the purchase order, not in a discussion after delivery.

What this means for technical procurement

Across all five themes, one pattern stood out: technology is mature and widely available, but the quality of a project is decided by the quality of the specification. Three practical conclusions:

• Start with the material, not the machine. Measured product data and supplier trials with the real product reduce risk more than any guarantee clause.
• Plan regulation into the schedule. With the EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applicable from 20 January 2027, machines delivered from that date need to meet the new requirements — relevant for every contract being negotiated now.
• Compare total cost, not price. Energy, spare parts, service reach and documentation determine the cost of ownership far more than the initial offer.

Outlook: POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 2028

The next edition will take place from 26 to 28 September 2028 at the Nuremberg exhibition centre, alongside the PARTEC congress and FACHPACK.

Sources and notes

Sources: NürnbergMesse, POWTECH TECHNOPHARM 2026 final report (October 2026) and event information; EGTarya's own observations at the fair. Exhibitor names are mentioned for information only; EGTarya is not affiliated with the companies named and the photographs do not imply any partnership, endorsement or purchase. Photos: EGTarya.