VISION 2026 sets new exhibitor record and provides impetus for the future

The 32nd edition of Messe Stuttgart’s VISION show set future trends with a record number of exhibitors, the VISION Start-up Award, the Makeathon premiere and new guided tours.

With 494 exhibiting companies, this year’s VISION set a new all-time record. Compared to the previous event in 2024, the number of exhibiting companies increased by 2 percent, and the occupied exhibition space by 5 percent.

Organizer Messe Stuttgart stated, “This achievement underscores the continued high demand for this international industry platform.”

VISION 2026 welcomed over 9,000 trade visitors, representing a 14 percent increase over 2024’s figures. 46 percent of these visitors came from abroad, hailing from a total of 59 countries.

The majority of attendees originated in Europe, with particularly strong representation from Italy, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland. Visitor feedback was also very positive; with an overall rating of 1.9, 82 percent of attendees would recommend VISION, said Messe Stuttgart.

The survey also showed that “90 percent of attendees are involved in investment and purchasing decisions within their companies.”

Roland Bleinroth, CEO of Messe Stuttgart, said, “VISION brings together suppliers, users, and the next generation of innovative companies in one place. The exchange generates impulses that accelerate the application of image processing.”

International appeal

The international appeal of VISION was also evident on the exhibitor side: 66 percent of the companies came from abroad, representing a total of 34 countries. More than 30 percent were exhibiting at the trade fair for the first time. This meant that both the international character and the proportion of first-time exhibitors remained at a consistently high level. The mix of established international companies and new market entrants gives the trade fair additional dynamism.

“The atmosphere among the companies was excellent, and the diverse supporting program noticeably gave VISION additional energy. VISION is far more than a trade fair: As a true networking event, it brings people together, promotes the exchange of ideas, and opens up space for new partnerships,” said Daniel Seiler, Chairman of the Board of the VDMA Machine Vision division.

31 startups

Young companies made a further impact. A total of 31 startups presented themselves at the VISION Start-up World and at the BMWE joint stand Young Innovators. Both platforms offered young companies the opportunity to present their technologies and ideas to international trade visitors and to establish contacts within the industry.

Further highlights for the younger entrepreneurial scene were the VISION Start-up of the Day and VISION Start-up 2026 awards, which recognized innovative solutions from up-and-coming companies. The VISION Start-up of the Day award went to Phaseform, eyeo imaging, and TiHive. eyeo was named VISION Start-up 2026.

The prestigious VISION Award recognizes technological excellence.

The VISION Award, endowed with €3,000, recognizes technological excellence in the field of industrial image processing. The 2026 shortlist included AIT Austrian Institute of Technology with PHOTODEX, Lidwave with Odem, Medabsy, photonicSENS, and Singular Photonics. PhotonicSENS was ultimately awarded the overall prize.

Makeathon

The inaugural VISION Makeathon gave the trade fair a particularly practical boost to innovation. Working in interdisciplinary teams, participants developed solutions to specific image processing challenges within a single day at the fair. The tasks revolved around the circular economy and smart farming. Industry professionals and ITQ experts supported the teams, who presented their results at the end of each day in the special exhibition area.

The guided tours brought concrete applications of image processing to life. Several industry-specific tours led through exciting application areas for Automotive & Battery, Aerospace & Defence, and Electronics & Semiconductors. These were complemented by the VDMA AI tours, which for the first time focused on the use of artificial intelligence in image processing and production processes.

Alongside VISION, the trade fairs Motek and Bondexpo, EFX – Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, and Quantum Effects took place. A single ticket combined these five events, showcasing image processing, automation, electronics manufacturing, and quantum technologies. The synergies worked very well, offering tangible added value to exhibitors and trade visitors, and are planned to be continued in the future.

Since 1988, VISION has been bringing together the international machine vision industry, showcasing the broad spectrum of its technologies and applications. The 32nd edition combined a new exhibitor record and strong international participation with a very positive evaluation from trade visitors and new formats for startups and young professionals. VISION 2026 thus sent a compelling signal for an innovation-driven industry and an optimistic outlook for the next generation of machine vision.

The next VISION will take place from October 24th to 26th, 2028.