MSV 2026 showcased the latest industrial innovations and confirmed the importance of face-to-face meetings for business
October 9, 2026 / 4:43 PM
Nine fully occupied halls at the Brno Exhibition Centre showcased the most exciting developments in today’s industry. Over four days, more than 55,000 visitors explored the stands of 1,379 exhibiting companies from 39 countries. Most were engineers and managers who need to put technological innovations into practice quickly. To accommodate the calendar of major international industry events, the next edition of MSV will exceptionally take place earlier than usual, from 14 to 17 September 2027.
Traditional engineering is becoming ever more closely connected with new technologies. This year’s MSV International Industrial Fair, together with the five specialised fairs IMT, PLASTEX, WELDING, FOND-EX and PROFINTECH, demonstrated this clearly. The main themes were industrial transformation, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing and digitalisation, all presented through live demonstrations and specific applications. “Whether it was the exhibitions, the programme or business meetings, everything was connected by one idea: technologies live, business face to face. This was the spirit of the entire engineering fair this year. Technological solutions were not merely discussed: visitors could see them in operation, try them out and speak directly with the people who develop them and introduce them into production,” said Jan Kubata, CEO of Veletrhy Brno, reflecting on this year’s event.
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“Feedback from exhibitors shows us that meeting in person remains essential in industry. Companies come to MSV not just to present their new products, but above all to meet customers and discuss specific projects. This is the most important feedback for us and confirms that the fair has an irreplaceable role even in today’s digital age,” said MSV Director Michalis Busios, assessing this year’s event.
Business leaders in discussion with government representatives
The fair welcomed numerous distinguished guests, led by Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček and other members of the Czech government. For the first time, MSV’s opening took place in the morning at the Czech National Pavilion (Česká národní expozice), which brought together government services for businesses in one place. The traditional Assembly of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic assessed the current government’s first year in office from a business perspective and presented its representatives with proposals for measures that would help Czech industry overcome barriers and become more competitive in the global market.
An international dimension and new business opportunities
MSV reaffirmed its international role. In addition to exhibitors from 39 countries, international national pavilions were presented in Brno, and trade and official delegations took part in the programme. The fair thus provided a setting not only for showcasing technologies, but also for discussions on exports, investment and new industrial partnerships. International contacts were also supported by the Kontakt-Kontrakt matchmaking platform, which connected 338 companies and numerous business institutions from 30 countries around the world and arranged nearly a thousand meetings for them.
Digitální továrna showcased technologies already moving into practice
One of the most prominent projects at this year’s MSV was Digitální továrna 2.0. Through the joint presentation United by Innovation, the National Centre for Industry 4.0 (Národní centrum Průmyslu 4.0) and its partners showed how people, robots, artificial intelligence and production data are being connected. Visitors could see digital twins of machines and entire businesses, industrial 5G communications, AI applications in diagnostics and production control, and ways to train robots in virtual environments before transferring the solutions into real-world operations.
Humanoid robotics, a massage robot, smart glasses and autonomous mobile robots also attracted attention. The exhibition was more than a showcase of new technologies: companies could discuss their own technological challenges with experts and explore a path from a digital audit through validation in a testbed to financing and deployment in production.
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Robotics, 3D printing and traditional manufacturing technologies
The dedicated ROBOTY joint exhibition in Hall P presented practical opportunities for using robotics in production, handling and welding, alongside machine vision. Visitors could challenge a robot to a logic game while also discussing specific automation projects with experts. The exhibition was complemented by the ROBO MEET UP professional gathering, focused on operational experience, return on investment and barriers to introducing robots.
Additive manufacturing also featured prominently through the 3D EXPO project. Yet the fair was not built solely around digital technologies. Machine tools and forming machines, welding, foundry technology, plastics processing and other traditional sectors formed its solid foundation. Their integration with automation, software and data demonstrated how industrial production is changing today.
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More than a hundred professional events, opportunities for face-to-face meetings and support for the next generation
This year’s MSV strengthened the fair’s format, which combines exhibition stands with an extensive conference programme and networking. Around a hundred professional events and discussions took place over the four days. DIGI STAGE presented case studies on digitalisation, industrial AI, robotics, 5G and cybersecurity, while the new TECHNOLOGY STAGE opened a dialogue between manufacturers, customers, researchers and schools on specific manufacturing technologies and vocational education.
A varied programme also took place at the Czech National Pavilion, which featured 13 public institutions led by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Discussions focused primarily on opportunities to expand into overseas markets. The accompanying programme also included the DEFENCEO conference on the defence industry and dual-use technologies, as well as an ISTMA Europe meeting of the European tooling sector.
Support for technical education and the next generation of professionals was another important part of the accompanying programme. Both stages offered special lectures for students on modern technologies, their use in teaching and career opportunities in industry. The fair also hosted the 17th edition of the Young Engineers’ Competition in CNC machine tool programming (Soutěž mladých strojařů), in which 103 students from 25 secondary technical schools across the Czech Republic tested their skills.
Gold Medals returned in a new format
A significant part of this year’s MSV was the return of the Zlatá medaile Gold Medal competition, recognising technological innovations and their contribution to industrial practice. The MSV Gold Medal for innovation in industry was awarded to manufacturer and exhibitor VOPSS Řepeč s.r.o. for its VOSA 450 modular training machine. The jury recognised the CNC machine’s innovative modular design, which combines practical training with productive use in commercial operations and enables teaching across the machine’s entire life cycle.
A new category was reserved for exhibits at the specialised fairs PLASTEX, WELDING, PROFINTECH and FOND-EX. Finland’s Pemamek won in this category with its PEMA Scan solution, which adapts multi-pass robotic welding to the actual geometry of the weld gap.
The third Gold Medal this year was awarded for an outstanding university project. It went to the BeamShape ElectronForge exhibit. The new generation of metal 3D printer using electron beam melting, developed by Brno-based technology company BeamShape, made its world debut at the fair. BeamShape was established as a spin-off from Brno University of Technology.
Special awards recognised individuals and long-term cooperation
The Woman in Industry award (Žena průmyslu) was presented for the first time at the gala evening of the 67th MSV, highlighting the role of women in industrial sectors. Its first-ever recipient was Denisa Materová, CEO of the engineering group Promet Group, nominated by the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic. Professor Petr Demeč received the Personality of Czechoslovak Engineering award (Osobnost československého strojírenství). The Veletrhy Brno Award went to the National Centre for Industry 4.0 for its long-term support of MSV and development of the Digitální továrna 2.0 project. The gala evening concluded with the announcement of the Manažer roku 2025 awards, recognising leading figures in Czech business.
Awards for the best industrial design
The awards for the best industrial design, jointly presented by Design Centrum CzechTrade (part of the Czech Business agency) and Veletrhy Brno, were also announced. PEGAS-GONDA took first place for its metal-cutting bandsaw, TAJMAC-ZPS came second with an automatic lathe, and Pragostroj placed third with a 3D printer. The awards underlined that innovation in industrial products is not only about technical specifications, but also functionality, ergonomics and design.
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The next MSV will take place in September 2027
The next edition of the MSV International Industrial Fair will exceptionally take place from 14 to 17 September 2027, moving several weeks earlier than its traditional October dates. The change is linked to coordinating MSV with other major international industrial fairs. The specialised TRANSPORT a LOGISTIKA fair will take place alongside the 68th edition of MSV.
