PaintExpo 2026 review: Automation, efficiency and AI

PaintExpo, held from April 14 to 17, 2026, once again drew 10,200 visitors from 68 countries to the Karlsruhe Exhibition Center to learn about the latest innovations and trends. The proportion of international exhibitors rose from 48 to 52 percent, which also had an impact on the visitor profile. Nearly 40 percent of visitors traveled from abroad. Despite the challenging economic environment, nearly all major companies in the industry were represented at the world’s leading trade fair for industrial coating technology, which took place in three halls with 425 exhibitors from 30 countries. 89 percent of exhibitors reported having achieved the goals they set for their participation in PaintExpo. “Despite the air traffic strike and difficult economic conditions, PaintExpo 2026 was a complete success. It has once again been demonstrated that the world’s leading trade fair for industrial coating technology is the most important driving force and an indispensable platform for the industry,” explains Markus Geisenberger, Managing Director of Leipziger Messe. 

Digital Technologies for Coating Technology

Digital technologies were at the forefront of the innovations, as the painting technology sector is also facing noticeable upheaval. Both economic requirements and effects such as the shortage of skilled workers are driving automation forward, which is why many innovations aimed at increasing efficiency were presented. The use of artificial intelligence also plays an important role here. For example, the increasing number of suppliers of painting robots and the associated automation solutions was not to be overlooked. Both automation and AI are significantly changing processes in industrial painting technology and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

PaintExpo trends energy efficiency and sustainability

Another visible trend was the topics of energy efficiency and sustainability. Retrofit solutions are playing an increasingly important role, both in painting systems and in conveyor technology. This not only enables significant cost savings to be made, but also ensures greater sustainability in plant engineering. Approaches such as low-temperature paints or coating thickness measurement and control in real time to save paint also show that sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, but has also found its way into production. Industrial coating technology will continue to produce many exciting innovations in the coming years. An overview of the numerous new products from PaintExpo 2026 exhibitors can be found in the PaintExpo trade fair special on Surface Technology Online. The next PaintExpo will take place from April 25 to 28, 2028 and is already attracting a great deal of interest. Numerous exhibitors took advantage of the opportunity to rebook during the current trade fair in order to secure their desired placement early on.