Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter: "With the 2026 state trade fair programme, we are giving Saxon companies a strong international stage. The presence at leading trade fairs in key sectors is a door opener to new markets and partnerships - and at the same time a signal that Saxony is competitive worldwide with its innovative strength and diversity."
"Agriculture and forestry as a strong partner: In Saxony, Germany and the world. This impetus comes from Saxony's many appearances at national and international trade fairs. Presenting the agricultural and food industry is a wonderful opportunity to put our public services as well as the Saxon cultural landscape in the spotlight. Saxony stands for reliability, entrepreneurial spirit and a wealth of ideas. And we need to show this," said Minister of Agriculture Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch.
"From medical technology to 3D printing and from Las Vegas to Amsterdam to Tokyo - next year's state trade fair programme will once again offer a wide range of specialist and geographical areas. This makes it the ideal platform for companies to present their innovations and expertise, their products and services to an international audience. The joint stands not only guarantee a strong presence under the established umbrella brand 'SACHSEN!', but also extensive networking opportunities, targeted marketing support and professional trade fair organisation. For companies that want to position themselves internationally with a manageable time and financial investment, this is an ideal instrument and thus a decisive added value," explains WFS Managing Director Thomas Horn.
.
SACHSEN! at international technology and industry trade fairs
The WFS organises the following 13 joint participations on behalf of the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Protection (SMWA):
- CES in Las Vegas (6 - 9 January 2026)
CES is one of the world's largest technology trade fairs, focusing on future topics such as digitalisation, AI, autonomous driving, robotics, cybersecurity and digital health. Due to the broad range of topics, there are numerous points of contact for Saxon companies from a wide variety of sectors. The USA is also of great interest to Saxony as the second most important export market and as a presentation platform for potential investors. Christmasworld in Frankfurt am Main (6 - 10 February 2026)
Saxony will be presenting itself for the third time with a joint stand at the world's leading trade fair for decorations and festive decorations. Saxony will benefit from its international reputation as "the" German Christmas country. For Saxon companies that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern design and thus appeal to a wide audience, participation in the trade fair offers the opportunity to establish themselves internationally.World Health Expo in Dubai (9 - 12 February 2026)
The World Health Expo (formerly Arab Health) is one of the most important medical technology trade fairs in the world, as the new trade fair name shows. It has been a fixed date in the trade fair calendar of the Free State of Saxony for almost 20 years, which underlines the constant interest of companies in this trade fair venue and reflects the high international demand for innovative and high-quality products "made in Saxony".
- JEC Composites World & Conference in Paris (10 - 12 March 2026)
The world's leading trade fair for composites and their applications presents innovations, new materials and technologies for a wide range of applications such as aerospace, automotive and vehicle construction, railway technology, sports, leisure and health. Saxon companies can score points here with their many years of extensive expertise when it comes to the optimal and sustainable use of raw materials, the recycling of materials and the use of composite materials, among other things.
- Kazakhstan Machinery Fair International in Astana (1 - 3 April 2026)
Saxony will be exhibiting at the KMF in Astana for the second time. One of the most important trade fairs for mechanical engineering and metalworking in Kazakhstan and Central Asia offers the opportunity to specifically open up the markets in this region for Saxony's mechanical and plant engineering industry and to establish future business partnerships. ILA Berlin Air Show (10 - 14 June 2026)
The trade fair is the central meeting place for global representatives of the aerospace, security and defence industries every two years. The agenda includes the transformation of civil aviation towards climate neutrality, digitalisation, security and mobility. The Saxon aerospace industry will be presenting its core competences, which include equipping and retrofitting aircraft, manufacturing components and testing aircraft and aerospace structures.
- The smarter E / ees in Munich (23 - 25 June 2026)
As the largest trade fair alliance in the energy industry and international meeting place for the sector, it offers interesting product innovations and technical solutions that cover the entire energy industry value chain. Energy systems are becoming increasingly complex, networked and integrated. With their cross-sector expertise, Saxon companies offer interesting solutions for this and are very well positioned. gamescom in Cologne (26 - 28 August 2026)
Gamescom is the world's largest trade fair and highlight for interactive games and entertainment, as well as one of the most comprehensive business platforms for the games industry.
Saxony will present itself there for the third time and showcase the dynamic industry and its diverse players.
- InnoTrans in Berlin (22 - 25 September 2026)
The international trade fair for transport technology, innovative components, vehicles and systems, which takes place every two years, is the world's leading event for railway technology. With their many years of experience and wide-ranging expertise in manufacturing, supplying and equipping as well as engineering and services, companies from Saxony's railway industry are always a sought-after and attractive partner at the trade fair.
- Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona (November 2026)
The event is dedicated to intelligent urban development and focuses on sustainable mobility, digital transformation and the use of renewable energies and energy efficiency to improve the quality of life in cities. Saxon companies have developed innovative solutions for this, which are the focus of the event alongside the presentation of best-practice approaches and dialogue with other smart cities. Formnext in Frankfurt am Main (17 - 20 November 2026)
For the first time, Saxony will be represented with a joint stand at Formnext, the leading forum for industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies. In view of the great future potential of the technology and the broad expertise of Saxon companies in this field, participation is an important step towards making Saxon expertise more visible and establishing new business contacts.GITEX GLOBAL in Dubai (7 - 11 December 2026)
GITEX GLOBAL is one of the most successful international trade fairs for the information and communication technology industry. Topics include AI, data centres, cyber security and quantum computing. For Saxony, the trade fair offers an important platform to strengthen its position as Europe's largest microelectronics cluster and innovative digital centre.Semicon Japan in Tokyo (December 2026)
The international trade fair for the semiconductor industry provides an overview of trends and the latest developments. With the establishment of TSMC in Saxony, both the industry and the location are experiencing greater international visibility and interest. This must be utilised to further strengthen and expand Saxony's position as a leading high-tech location.
Five joint participations for the food industry
On behalf of the Saxon State Ministry for the Environment and Agriculture (SMUL), WFS organises the following joint participations for the food industry:
- Saxony is traditionally represented at the Green Week in Berlin (16 - 25 January 2026) and uses the annual kick-off event for the food industry and the industry meeting point for agriculture and forestry as a showcase for the diverse range of products and services offered by companies.
- At the agra trade fair in Leipzig (9 - 12 April 2026), direct marketers, farms and regional producers will present their products at the agra marketplace.
In addition, a SACHSEN! AgriFood Innovation Forum is planned again. This will focus on projects that demonstrate the potential of changing, sustainable value chains in agricultural technology and the food industry. The BioOst in Leipzig (12 April 2026) is the trade fair for the organic trade and brings together suppliers with buyers and retailers, including from the natural food and health food trade, organic supermarkets as well as the catering trade and bulk consumers.
- The trade fair format Sachsenback in Dresden (18 to 20 April 2026) has been successfully established for years and is of great importance for professional exchange in Central Germany. The trade fair for the bakery and confectionery trades focuses on raw materials, ingredients and accessories for the industry, among other things.
At the international trade fair "World of Private Label" PLMA in Amsterdam (19 and 20 May 2026), Saxon companies will present their products and goods to the top buyers from the international retail and wholesale trade.
Further joint company stands of the AWIS partners
In addition to the WFS, other partners of the Saxony Foreign Trade Initiative (AWIS) are also organising joint company stands as part of the state trade fair programme. For example, the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce is planning the following participations:
- DMEA (21 - 23 April 2026 in Berlin): Trade fair and congress for digital healthcare
- IFAT (4 - 7 May 2026 in Munich): World's leading trade fair for environmental technologies
- OTWorld (19 - 22 May 2026 in Leipzig): International trade fair for modern assistive technology
- FAKUMA (12 - 16 October 2026 in Friedrichshafen): International trade event for industrial plastics processing
- electronica (10 - 13 November in Munich): World's leading trade fair and conference for electronics
- MEDICA (16 - 19 November in Düsseldorf): World forum for medicine
.
Background to the annual state trade fair programme
The state trade fair programme consists of joint company stands and participations that are planned as part of the Saxony Foreign Trade Initiative (AWIS) in order to support Saxon companies in opening up international markets. In addition to the WFS, the programme is also implemented by the Saxon chambers of commerce.
News of "Medienservice Sachsen" from 04.09.2025