WMF 2026 Bologna: International AI, Tech and Digital Innovation Fair confirmed for June
The 13th edition of WMF – We Make Future, the International Certified Trade Fair for AI, Technology and Digital Innovation, was officially presented at the headquarters of Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. The event is scheduled to take place from 24 to 26 June 2026 at BolognaFiere. Representatives from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) attended the presentation. They outlined the strategic role of WMF as a platform supporting the internationalisation of Italy’s productive system, the attraction of foreign investment, and the opportunities available to Italian companies and manufacturing sectors.
Cosmano Lombardo outlines the vision for the event
“This is an important moment because it reflects work that has been built over time, together with all the players in the innovation ecosystem. Since 2007, we have been developing an ecosystem platform dedicated to open innovation, designed to connect institutions, businesses, investors and local territories,” said Cosmano Lombardo, Founder and CEO of Search On Media Group and creator of WMF – We Make Future.
“The event spans 14 industrial sectors that are applying digital innovation and artificial intelligence in the most advanced ways,” Lombardo continued. “There is a strong focus on buyer–seller engagement and on the role of innovation in development processes. WMF is not limited to the three days of the exhibition: it operates year-round through an international roadshow connecting Italy with the rest of the world. We are living in a historic moment in which it is essential to define a development path for the country in the fields of innovation and technology. We Make Future was created with this mission: to be a stable platform for connection, growth and international positioning.”
Record figures from the 2025 edition
Following record figures in 2025, with more than 73,000 attendees from 90 countries, over 700 exhibitors, 1,000 speakers and international guests, 2,800 B2B meetings, and the participation of 3,000 startups and investors, WMF 2026 is once again positioning itself as a strategic platform serving the national economic system. During the press conference, organisers reaffirmed WMF’s role as a key platform for the implementation of artificial intelligence and digital technologies across the 14 industrial sectors highlighted by the event, as well as a strategic trade fair for Made in Italy and the future economy, supported by the announced presence of delegations from Asia, the United States, India, Africa, Europe and emerging markets.
Government backing and institutional support
Speaking at the press conference, Federico Eichberg, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, said: “This is a Ministry that works to build the future. The expertise of Made in Italy – diverse and not confined to a single industrial model – is evolving into increasingly sophisticated forms, thanks to the country’s ability to express itself through multiple production and technological languages. In this context, trade fairs represent essential meeting points and translation spaces for these languages: environments in which innovation and emerging technologies have a tangible impact on companies’ ability to access markets. The future is built through the capacity of businesses to form partnerships, develop sustainable growth and activate connections between markets, governments and ecosystems. In this sense, We Make Future represents a concrete instrument for looking ahead and generating opportunities for the national system.”
Among the announcements for the 2026 edition is the confirmed participation of numerous international delegations of startups and investors from established innovation ecosystems such as the United States – particularly Silicon Valley – Canada, and Europe. Exchanges with countries in the MENA region will be further strengthened, alongside participation from Asian nations including South Korea, Japan and India, as well as innovative delegations from Africa and South America.
This article was first published in Italian on 16 February 2026.
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