Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) has finalized the conference program and the exhibitor lineup for BEX – Beyond Exploration Expo, the new European platform for convergence between space technologies and industrial applications. Patronized by the Emilia-Romagna Region, the event will take place from September 23 to 25 at the Rimini Expo Centre.
The mission is to create new business opportunities by fostering dialogue among companies, institutions, startups, and research centers interested in diversification, highlighting the role of space as a lever for innovation and competitiveness for both the terrestrial economy and future economies beyond Earth.
The opening day will begin with the participation of national and international institutional and government figures. On the main stage, during the BEX Vision Summit, confirmed speakers include representatives from Axiom Space and Leonardo Space, as well as MEPs Elena Donazzan and Giorgio Gori.
On the topic of industrial diversification, BEX’s Scientific and Technical Committee and ESA are dedicating a keynote to advanced manufacturing for space, from ground-based component certification to direct in-orbit manufacturing, featuring contributions from representatives of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, certification bodies, and insurance entities. The session will also involve the Motor Valley district, with a contribution from Dallara, a company specializing in advanced manufacturing and composites for the aerospace sector.
The capital markets angle is entrusted to the Space Finance Arena, a session organized by BEX together with Plug and Play Tech Center: a platform designed to foster agreements between startups, SMEs, investors, banks, and insurers, with a focus on bankability and scalability of projects, and a reverse pitch format in which investors present themselves to companies. Notable participants include EY, CDP Venture Capital SGR, and funds specializing in the space economy such as Galaxia, the national technology transfer hub for aerospace, and Primo Space, Italy’s first venture capital fund dedicated to the sector. The session also includes INCUBED, ESA’s co-financing program, offering the chance to request direct meetings with the Agency in the Open Innovation District.
Opportunities for non-space companies are also at the center of the ESA Technology Broker session. In the agrifood field, the relationship between space and agriculture will see ENEA engaged on Space & Urban Farming and Confagricoltura on remote sensing applied to crops.
The health area will be covered by two sessions curated by CNR ISOF, focused on physiology, wellbeing, and pharmaceuticals. There will also be space for technical textiles, with an in-depth session curated by Spacewear, while technology transfer between sporting goods and space will be developed through contributions from Assosport and its member companies.
Gruppo Reply brings to BEX the expertise of Nova Reply, Concept Reply, Roboverse Reply, Storm Reply, and Skyward Reply on advanced connectivity, cloud, satellite data, artificial intelligence, robotics, and aerospace systems.
The expo conference will also serve as an official stop on the States General of the Space Economy 2026, the initiative promoted by the Parliamentary Intergroup for Space across Italy’s space industry districts, with a day dedicated to innovation-focused startups.
“We want to create a space where expertise from sectors traditionally unrelated to space can generate innovation and turn it into new market opportunities,” said Alessandra Astolfi, Global Exhibition Director of IEG’s Green & Technology division. “The exchange goes both ways: technologies born for space find application in terrestrial sectors, and expertise developed on the ground contributes to the development of the space supply chain. On this basis, BEX brings together companies, institutions, and research centers around working tables focused on real-world use cases. The presence of institutional figures and BEX’s inclusion in the States General of the Space Economy confirm the event’s position within the national strategy for the sector.“
BEX – Beyond Exploration Expo is the first Italian trade expo entirely dedicated to the space economy. Taking place in Rimini from September 23 to 25, 2026, BEX aims to be an international reference hub for the meeting point between the traditional space industry (upstream), downstream applications, and non-space sectors interested in the opportunities offered by space technologies. The event will feature exhibition areas, conferences, technical workshops, matchmaking sessions, and a dedicated area for startups, universities, and research centers.
