From machine tools to humanoids. MSV 2026 showcases industry in all its breadth

This year’s fair is built on a simple principle: technologies live, business face to face. Today, the technical specifications of a machine or production solution can be found online within minutes. At MSV, however, visitors can see these technologies in operation, compare different solutions and meet the people behind them directly.

“In industry, many key business decisions are not made in a single meeting. They are underpinned by trust, long-term relationships and the ability to find a partner who can offer a solution to a company’s specific needs. This is precisely where MSV’s strength lies. Over four days, it brings together manufacturers, suppliers and customers across the entire industrial value chain and creates a setting in which new business opportunities can emerge,” said Jan Kubata, CEO of Veletrhy Brno.

“Czechia is an industrial country, and if we want to maintain this position, we must be able to keep pace in productivity, automation, digitalisation and new technologies. Simply talking about innovation is not enough; what matters is bringing it into real production as quickly as possible. The International Engineering Fair is an absolutely unique platform in this respect. It brings Czech and international companies, research, technologies and government together in one place and shows where industry is actually heading. For us, it is essential that Czech businesses have the conditions they need to invest, grow and compete internationally,” said Karel Havlíček, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade.

As is traditional, the Assembly of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic will also take place on MSV’s opening day. “Decisions about competitiveness are being made now, and not only in Prague. That is why we are bringing a strong European dimension to this year’s Assembly. French Minister of Industry Sébastien Martin and representatives of European business will come to Brno. We want to discuss with them what Europe really needs to change to get back in the game. At the same time, we must also consider what we ourselves can and must do at home to improve competitiveness. That is why the Assembly will feature a direct debate with ministers whose portfolios have a major influence on the conditions for Czech industry – from economic policy and transport through education to the labour market,” said Jan Rafaj, President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (Svaz průmyslu a dopravy ČR).

The essentials of industry in one place

One of MSV’s greatest strengths is its cross-sector reach. Together with the five specialised fairs IMT, PLASTEX, WELDING, FOND-EX and PROFINTECH, it will connect machining and forming, welding, foundry technology, plastics and surface treatment with automation, robotics, digitalisation, logistics and other technologies. Nine exhibition halls will be filled, with machining and forming remaining the event’s key pillars. Visitors will see numerous technological innovations even in these traditional fields.

Manufacturers across industries currently face a fundamental question: how to produce faster and more efficiently. At their stands, exhibitors will present solutions such as carrying out stocktaking without stopping operations, painting a new product within minutes without a programmer or knowledge of robot programming languages, and manufacturing components for both a scooter and a combine harvester on a single machine.

Digitální továrna 2.0: technology makes sense when it helps people

One of the main centres of digitalisation will be Digitální továrna 2.0. Its Gold Partner is the National Centre for Industry 4.0 (Národní centrum Průmyslu 4.0), which has prepared an exhibition with its partners under the shared motto United by Innovation. It will present technologies and services that connect people with robots, artificial intelligence and data. Participants will include RICAIP Testbed Praha and Brno, Siemens, KUKA, Česká spořitelna, Smart Informatics, Škoda Auto, T-Mobile, DEL and Murrelektronik.

Visitors to the exhibition will see a person working with a humanoid robot, digital twins of machines and entire businesses, the industrial metaverse, 5G communications and technologies for industrial AI. “Today, the question is no longer whether a robot or artificial intelligence can replace people in certain activities. What is much more interesting is how to use their capabilities so that people can do work they could not manage alone – more safely, more precisely or with less physical strain. In my view, that is what the next stage of Industry 4.0 is about: not replacing people with technology, but connecting them meaningfully,” said Robert Keil, Director of the National Centre for Industry 4.0.

For the wider public, highlights of the exhibition may include the latest Škoda Auto Peaq model, a massage robot, smart glasses for translation and a live demonstration of a firefighting operation in which next-generation solutions – autonomous robot dogs and drones – will play the leading role.

Robotics shows its muscles. And this year, its brains too

Robotics will also feature prominently in other halls across the fair. Following its successful debut last year, the ROBOTY joint exhibition will return to Hall P. Visitors will see an automated machining cell, gripping technologies and even options for remote servicing using smart glasses. They can also challenge a robot in person to the strategy game Nim.

Robotics will also be the focus of the one-day ROBO MEET UP: Roboty ve strojírenství on Thursday 8 October. The programme will address competitiveness, automated production, flexibility, welding, AI, and specific applications and their return on investment.

Humanoids move into real-world operations

One of the most prominent themes of this year’s event will be humanoid robotics. Robots whose structure resembles the human body are gradually moving from research laboratories towards practical applications. Their advantage is that they can move within environments originally designed for people: they can use conventional workspaces, handle objects or work at a workbench.

This year’s MSV will feature several types of humanoid robots, demonstrating different approaches to their practical use. Visitors will be able to meet, for example, a humanoid designed for direct interaction with people, robots being developed for industrial environments, and George, the first Czech humanoid heading into industrial operations. Experts from the Interdisciplinary Centre for Humanoid Robotics at CIIRC ČVUT (Interdisciplinární centrum humanoidní robotiky) will also present opportunities for deploying these technologies in practice.

Schaeffler will visit the Brno fair as part of a European roadshow with a unique truck, where visitors can explore not only humanoid robotics but also electric drives, smart sensor technology and solutions for aviation.

Two stages featuring examples from real-world practice

A new feature of this year’s programme will be the Technology Stage in Hall P, connecting technology manufacturers, their customers, research organisations and educational institutions. Through panel discussions, it will explore the current state of machining, welding, materials engineering and foundry technology. The Digi Stage in Digitální továrna 2.0 will offer case studies and discussions on current topics such as industrial cybersecurity, integrating robots into production and the future of automation.

The Czech National Pavilion connects businesses with government

MSV 2026 will also feature the Czech National Pavilion (Česká národní expozice), where a total of 13 public institutions supporting business, innovation and exports will exhibit under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It will bring Czech companies, public administration and other partners together in one place, offering opportunities to discuss development plans, obtain information on financing or entering overseas markets, and establish new business contacts. The programme will also focus on current issues in Czech industry, including artificial intelligence, 5G, digitalisation, energy, new manufacturing technologies and technical education, and will feature practical technology demonstrations. On Thursday, the pavilion will become Meeting Point CzechTrade, where companies can discuss opportunities in selected markets with specialists in overseas markets.

More space for innovation

One of MSV’s oldest traditions will also change this year. The Zlatá medaile MSV competition for the MSV Gold Medal will be held for the 60th time, returning in a modernised format. The competition will offer three categories that consider not only technical quality but also market readiness, economic efficiency and commercial potential. Awards will be presented for an innovation in industry, an exhibit at the technology fairs and an outstanding university project. There will also be special awards for a woman in industry and a prominent figure in Czech engineering, as well as an award from Veletrhy Brno.

Alongside the Gold Medals, industrial design awards will once again be presented at MSV in cooperation with Design Centrum CzechTrade. The fair’s opening day will also see the announcement of the results of the Manažer roku competition, which brings together industry, business and management.

Brno hosts international industrial dialogue

Another strength of MSV is the concentration of business partners and key figures in industry from Czechia and abroad. Official international exhibitors and trade missions from around the world will once again come to Brno. Delegations from Egypt, France, Japan, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Slovakia, the USA and Uzbekistan are among those confirmed. Alongside the Czech National Pavilion, national and regional stands will represent China, France, India, Italy’s Brescia, Japan, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, the Basque Country and Ukraine.

A significant event will be ISTMA Europe’s first-ever meeting in the Czech Republic. The organisation, which represents European tool and mould manufacturers, will discuss industrial competitiveness and the protection of European know-how in Brno, among other topics.

Four days for technology, contacts and new opportunities

Alongside the technology exhibitions, MSV will offer dozens of opportunities for expert discussions and business meetings. In addition to the Assembly of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic on Tuesday 6 October, key conference events will include the DEFENCEO management summit, focusing on contracts in the defence industry, on Wednesday 7 October, and 3D Fórum on Thursday 8 October. The accompanying programme will also include, for example, specialist seminars on export opportunities in India and Germany.

The fair’s business focus will also be supported by the established matchmaking platform Kontakt-Kontrakt, enabling exhibitors and visitors to schedule B2B meetings with Czech and international partners in advance.

This year, the organisers are expanding the distribution of visitor badges. Visitors can print their badge at home or at designated points at the event itself. Scanning the QR code saves contact details to a mobile phone, making it easy to connect with exhibitors and other visitors.

The best-value tickets are available online at eshop.bvv.cz/en/bvv.

Media contact: Michal Svoboda, Head of Marketing and Communications, Veletrhy Brno, a.s.,
Tel.: +420 601 252 327, email: msvoboda@bvv.cz

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