FDBusiness.com

“Cibus Tec confirms the highly specialised, vertical market technology exhibition for the main food production chains. At this unique trade fair, international operators can discover the best technological solutions, in the very place that puts them to the most advanced and innovative use in the world – here in Italy and, in particular, in Parma. Cibus Tec is a platform for Italian excellence in food processing & packaging and its technological innovation and customizability, with a strong emphasis on specialisation, sustainable technology and advanced automation”.

With these words from Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma, began the recent Cibus Tec presentation, now with the Parma exhibition centre joined by the German giant Koelnmesse.

Attending the event were Gerald Böse, President and CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, Thomas Rosolia, CEO of Koelnmesse Italia and Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma.

The contents of the exhibition as presented at the meeting can be summed up as follows:

• Three months before it opens, the exhibition can lay claim to being the Italian benchmark for the food processing industry, with 95% of the 2014 exhibitors confirming their attendance, along with 200 new exhibitors, and a significant expansion (+ 30%) of the packaging technologies and materials section.
• Cibus Tec demonstrates the attraction of all technologies (sorting, processing, packaging, end-of-line and logistics) for the major agro-industrial sectors (fruit & vegetables, meat, milk & dairy, bakery, confectionery and coffee), alongside new areas for ice cream, desserts and ingredients. In response to the event’s expansion, the new, higher-capacity Pavilion 2 has been opened.
• An intensive program of workshops with international guests is laid on to address the most current issues in the sector, including the new frontiers of food hygiene and food safety, energy consumption diagnosis and future solutions, water footprint and strategies for reducing water consumption, and the role of eco-friendly technologies in enhancing competitiveness. Production and packaging solutions for “free-from” products as well as eco packaging will occupy a large space.
• Alongside established partnerships with organizations like Federalimentare (Federation of Italian Food Industries Associations), Assolatte (Italian Dairy Foods Association), Assocarni (Italian Meat Industry and Trade Association), AMITOM-WPTC (for processing tomato) and EHEDG Italy, new partnerships with leading national and international institutions including the Ordine Nazionale dei Tecnologi Alimentari (Italian Order of Food Technologists) and IFU (International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association) are developing. The goal: to create network between operators in different communities and develop new business potential for Cibus Tec exhibitors.
• 1000 CTOs (Chief Technology Officers) from the most relevant global food companies will be attending as part of the incoming programme developed by Fiere di Parma, Koelnmesse, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and ICE (Italian Trade Commission), boosted by an investment of 1.5 million euro. Some of the major international companies already attending: BRF (Brazil), Fonterra (New Zealand), Kagome (Japan), Solico and Kalleh (Iran), The Morning Star and Coca Cola (USA), Unilever (UAE), Arcor (Argentina) and Amul (India).
• New promotional tools will be introduced to support business matching: The Cibus Tec Showcase digital platform developed with Koelnmesse Italia means greater visibility for exhibitors before, during and after the show; the Cibus Tec Agenda online tool enables visitors to request appointments with exhibiting companies; the Innovation Hub integrated portal on the Cibus Tec website will promote the technological innovations exhibited at the show.

All in all, a format for success that will promote 1200 exhibitors and, as of this year, enjoy a major boost for Italian businesses on both the international and domestic markets (see appendix) through the support of Koelnmesse, with whom Fiere di Parma has recently created the Koeln Parma Exhibitions Srl (KPE) newco.

“Koeln Parma Exhibitions’s main purpose initially is indeed focusing on    Cibus Tec, an event that has seen rapid growth over the last two editions, securing an ever more important slot in the Italian exhibition calendar, and to which we can certainly bring Koelnmesse’s industry experience and the high standard of international events such as Anuga FoodTec or ProSweets Cologne”, said Thomas Rosolia, CEO of Koelnmesse Italia.  “With Fiere di Parma, we will ensure that Cibus Tec becomes an unmissable event for as many exhibitors and visitors from around the world as possible, making it even ”stronger” on the international market. Without neglecting new opportunities on the Italian market”.

Cibus Tec is more than an international showcase for the best food processing and packaging solutions. Technology is an essential travelling companion for food companies looking to break into new markets. It is only research and innovation in technology that has enabled Made in Italy food to be available everywhere, whilst maintaining its high quality and wholesome nature, and thereby set its sights on the 50 million euro exports target set by Agriculture Minister Martina at Cibus Food Exhibition (May 2016) itself.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the CL.uster A.grifood N.azionale CL.A.N European Strategic Cluster Partnership has identified technological innovation as one of the six paths for supporting national food industry development and competitiveness.

With a 2016 turnover estimated at 134 billion euro (with almost 29 from exports), the Italian food industry is the country’s second manufacturing sector; over 1.2 billion consumers worldwide buy a Made in Italy product every year; convenience products (ready-made sauces, fresh and frozen toppings, etc.) are an ever growing consumer trend, now representing 25% of the agri-food turnover.

If excellent Italian produce is to take on the world’s markets, closing in on Germany and France (whose respective 2015 agri-food exports amount to 71.1 and 60.5 euro), it will need the support of technologies to preserve its flavour, freshness and identity: like those that will be exhibited at Cibus Tec from the 25-28 October 2016.