At Plast 2026, the international trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry scheduled for 9–12 June at Rho Fiera Milano, the 3D Plast satellite area is to be transformed into a new format called 3DPlastLab. According to the announcement, it will no longer be merely a dedicated exhibition space focused on 3D printing, but a “dynamic laboratory” where content, people and technologies are to converge through a continuous programme of talks, presentations and discussion sessions. The concept also assumes cross-fertilisation between technology and areas such as artificial intelligence and design, with the overall aim of presenting the development trajectories of additive manufacturing in a practical, tangible way.
The organisers note that 3D Plast has been present at previous editions of the event, while in 2026 it is expected to move from a “3D printing area” to an international dialogue ecosystem bringing together research, industry, design and emerging technological frontiers, including artificial intelligence and advanced engineering. The renewed formula is to be created through cooperation between the Plast organisational secretariat and Simone Maccagan, Business Development Manager at Gimac and CEO and Founder of eXgineering. Development, design and coordination are led by Pierpaolo Ruttico, Founder and Managing Director of Indexlab, a digital fabrication laboratory at Politecnico di Milano.
At the core of the 3DPlastLab programme will be the participation of dozens of globally recognised innovators, selected via a mapping process involving more than 1,000 sector professionals worldwide. Throughout the duration of the fair, the area is to operate in a continuous format, with a cycle of talks, presentations and discussions, creating an ongoing flow of content focused on advanced additive manufacturing. The announced topics include new materials, artificial intelligence applied to production, computational design, distributed ledger solutions, sustainability and new industrial models.
The announced 3DPlastLab area is to cover more than 400 m². Visitors are expected to have direct access to prototypes, applications and concrete projects, as well as the possibility to interact with their creators either physically or digitally.
Four thematic areas and awards
The exhibition is to be organised around four thematic areas which, according to the organisers, represent the main evolutionary trajectories of the sector:
- Materials, new substances and new performance characteristics
- Technologies, advanced processes and machinery
- Construction systems, applications and production models
- Design techniques, new approaches to design
In each category, an award is to be granted for the most innovative project, recognising solutions assessed as the most advanced in terms of research and application.
Plast 2026, event information
Plast 2026 is organised by Promaplast. According to the organiser, the event serves as a platform for presenting plastics and rubber processing machinery and latest-generation raw materials for the production of semi-finished and finished goods, as well as a venue for establishing commercial relationships.
Dates: 9–12 June 2026
Venue: Fiera Milano, Rho Pero (Milan)
Hours: 9:30–18:00
Website: www.plastonline.org
