The most dynamic and ambitious edition yet in terms of technology, solutions and innovation

BIEMH, the International Machine-Tool Biennial, is entering the final stretch of its preparations, with 1,461 confirmed exhibitors from 29 countries, including Germany, Italy, Portugal, the USA, Japan and Taiwan, and over 3,000 products and services. Large machinery in operation will be the focus of this 32nd edition, which, from 3 to 7 June, will be distributed among the six halls of Bilbao Exhibition Centre.

The event will feature key sectors for the industry such as manufacturing and distribution of starting and forming machines (35%), robotics and automation (20%), tools and accessories (12%), digitalisation as applied to industry (9%), mechanical components (9%), production and business services (6%), additive and 3D manufacturing (5%), and metrology (4%).

A new feature this year will be a separate area for robotics, automation and digitalisation, as well as the Robot Demo area, where leading companies will showcase their latest creations.

This year’s BIEMH will be the most dynamic and ambitious yet in terms of technology, solutions and innovation, and will feature a varied programme of activities, including analyses and content from international experts in the BIEMH Talks. Moreover, there will be guided tours, innovation workshops and a full programme of BIEMH TV, among other activities and services.

 

Wide-ranging content agenda

Through conferences, keynotes, workshops and round tables, the BIEMH Talks will examine the current situation and projections for the future of the industry. Scheduled for 4 June, the Digital Talks will explore the latest 4.0 technologies for digital transformation, in particular those aimed at users of industrial equipment. On the 5th, the Automation & Robotics Talks will present new products and developments in robotics and automation as applied to industry. And on the 6th, the Additive Talks will focus on the challenges, development and implementation of additive technology, offering their own experiences and presenting several success stories.

The list of speakers includes, among others, Leire Orue-Echevarria (Policy Officer-DG CONNECT European Commission), Gregorio Ameyugo (Head of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Division at CEA) and Haden Quinlan (Senior Programme Manager at MIT-Massachusetts Institute of Technology), who will give the opening keynote speeches.

Besides the BIEMH Talks, the agenda includes guided tours – BigMachines Tour, Automation & Robotics Tour and Innovation Tour- and BIEMH TV, with more than 80 live interviews, summaries and analysis of the conference, not to mention promotional videos.

In an open and dynamic format, the BeDIGITAL Innovation Workshops will showcase the most important digital advances. And in the Innotech Area of the Basque Innovation Agency-Innobasque, research and projects will be presented and talks will be held on 3, 4 and 5 June.

Likewise, networking spaces will be available to facilitate business relations. And in a more relaxed atmosphere, exhibitor firms will be able to enjoy a Get Together welcome party and, on Thursday 5 June, BIEMH Fest will bring live music to the streets of Bilbao.

 

Strong presence of strategic buyers

Thanks to the visitor promotion campaign run in more than 140 countries, the BIEMH will feature a large number of buyers, including professionals from the USA, France, Portugal, Turkey, Canada, India and Mexico. The latter will also be the Guest Country of the 32nd BIEMH; a country with a major presence at the event and a strategic market for the industry, especially after the signing of the T-MEC and the nearshoring policy it is implementing. Thus, prior to the fair, a webinar will be organised on the business opportunities available in Mexico. This meeting will help exhibiting companies to optimise the results of their visit to the BIEMH.

A large number of Mexican buyers from the automotive, aerospace, household appliance, moulding and distribution sectors, among others, have confirmed that they will participate in the fair. These companies will participate in the Hosted Buyers’ Programme, a unique initiative among the world’s leading trade fairs in the sector, which has become a major attraction for those visiting the BIEMH. The programme accedes to the requests of the exhibiting companies themselves, thus guaranteeing the presence of hundreds of strategic professionals with whom they can close business meetings.

Being held in parallel to BIEMH is BeDIGITAL, a forum focusing on the industrial application of digital technology, and ADDITƐD, the international fair for additive manufacturing and 3D printing. Also WORKinn Talent Hub, the meeting point between talent and industry, will be held.

 

20th anniversary of Bilbao Exhibition Centre

This April, BEC celebrated its 20th anniversary. An avant-garde venue built to suit the BIEMH and which took over the trade fair baton after 120 years of the Bilbao International Trade Fair. Over two decades, it has hosted and witnessed thousands of events whose impact has been felt far beyond its borders and which underline its position as a leading venue for the socio-economic development and external projection of the Basque Country. With this mission and to confront challenges of the 21st century, the Basque Government, the Biscay Provincial Council, the City Councils of Bilbao and Barakaldo and Bilbao Chamber of Commerce conceived the site. These goals have been met and then some. Over the course of twenty years BEC has hosted 3,172 events of various kinds in which almost 19 million people have participated.

 

BIEMH is supported by the Basque Innovation Agency-Innobasque as Innovation Partner and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the Basque Government-SPRI as Institutional Partners. And it is organised by AFM, Machine Tool Manufacturers; AIMHE, Machine Tools Importers; and BEC. WORKinn Talent Hub also has Lanbide, the Basque Employment Service, as Institutional Partner. And BeDIGITAL also counts with Gaia, Association of Knowledge and Technology Industries of the Basque Country, as Collaborator.