At Plast 2026, an open laboratory square for innovation

At Plast 2026, held at Fiera Milano in Rho (Milan) from 9 to 12 June, 3DPlastLab – the satellite exhibition of the Milan international trade fair dedicated to additive manufacturing, developed in collaboration with Indexlab of the Politecnico di Milano – goes beyond the conventional concept of an exhibition space, establishing itself as an open laboratory. The format integrates research, industry, computational design and applied experimentation through a large, open laboratory square, where researchers, designers, engineers, artists and international companies present applications linked to smart materials, generative AI, automation, robotics and new construction systems.

Installations, prototypes, 3D-printed components and advanced production processes become tools for direct dialogue between innovation and industry, accompanied by a continuous programme of talks and conversations on generative design, sustainability, distributed manufacturing and the integration of software and production. The project also includes an international call for ideas and an exhibition itinerary organised around four strands – materials, technologies, construction systems and design techniques – transforming the additive area of Plast 2026 into an experiential, interdisciplinary platform for applied research and innovation. Numerous researchers and innovators from some of the most prominent and esteemed universities and international laboratories will also be present.

The value of 3DPlastLab lies not only in the scientific excellence of the projects on show, but in its capacity to generate real encounters between those who develop technologies and those who can bring them to industrial scale. For visitors to Plast 2026, it will mean the opportunity to engage directly with researchers and innovators, observe working prototypes, and gain first-hand insight into emerging materials and novel production processes with concrete applications across sectors including automotive, biomedical, aerospace, electronics, packaging and the circular economy. For companies, it will be a chance to identify competencies, patents, partnerships and talent before they reach the global market. With this format, Plast 2026 confirms its vocation not only as the reference trade fair for the plastics and rubber sector, but as an international platform where the industrial present meets the future of advanced manufacturing.