Gama spoke to Yannick Verry, Brand Director, ahead of the latest edition of Fi Europe.
What are your primary goals and expectations for this year’s edition of Fi Europe?
Our central goal for Fi Europe 2026 is to bring the F&B community together around the innovation needed to meet the challenges facing the ingredients sector – from health and sustainability to economic resilience. We expect to welcome over 27,000 attendees and more than 1,650 exhibiting companies from across 135 countries. Beyond the opportunities to do business, we want to create meaningful connections across the entire value chain – from early-stage biotech startups to multinational CPG formulation teams. This year, we are particularly focused on helping the industry move from ideas to market faster, with practical ingredient solutions that address supply chain volatility and evolving consumer health demands.
The Startup Innovation Challenge is a major draw. How is Fi Europe continuing to champion the next generation of food-tech and ingredient pioneers?
The Startup Innovation Challenge is an important part of our commitment to supporting the next generation of food technology, and this year we have expanded its reach and support. We recognise that young pioneers face significant challenges when scaling from the laboratory to commercial manufacturing. Through the dedicated Startup Pavilion and Challenge pitch stages, we give early-stage companies the opportunity to connect directly with global corporate venture capital, strategic distribution partners and corporate R&D leaders looking for open innovation. Beyond the live competition, we offer finalists dedicated pitch coaching, investor matchmaking programmes and year-round visibility across our digital platforms, helping breakthrough ideas in cellular agriculture, side-stream upcycling and novel bioprocessing find the commercial backing they need to scale.
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Which specific ingredient categories or functional health trends do you expect to take centre stage on the show floor this year?
We expect to see strong interest around targeted wellness, clean processing and next-generation formulation. Precision nutrition and metabolic health will be key areas, alongside a growing focus on biotics – including prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics – designed to support gut health, immunity and healthy ageing. We also expect to see a strong presence of clean-label functional proteins and texturisers, driven by demand for permissible indulgence and nutrient-dense formulations with clean ingredient decks. Meanwhile, alternative protein formulations are moving beyond heavily processed substitutes towards minimally processed, whole-food plant matrices and novel fungal or microalgae proteins that offer improved flavour profiles and cost parity.
Beyond the exhibition booths, how are you enhancing the networking tools and content sessions to provide more value for attendees?
We want every attendee to make the most of their time at Fi Europe, so we have continued to develop both our on-site and digital experiences. The Fi Europe Event Platform and mobile app now use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) matchmaking algorithms, allowing attendees to pre-schedule targeted, relevant business meetings based on specific ingredient needs or technical capabilities. Our Fi Europe Conference and the reimagined Future of Nutrition Summit are built around bite-sized, practical sessions, including curated lunch-and-learn formats and expert panel debates. We are also offering expanded guided Innovation Tours across the show floor, helping busy buyers and technical specialists follow curated pathways to the most relevant solutions in their category.
Sustainability is a massive driver in the ingredients sector. How is this being integrated into the show’s programming for 2026?
Sustainability remains a key part of Fi Europe 2026, with particular focus on upcycling, circularity and the protein transition. The dedicated Upcycled Foods & Ingredients Innovation Tour, delivered by the Upcycled Food Association and Foodvalley, will showcase practical solutions, while the AI Sustainability Hub by MeNow will explore how AI can help identify new ingredients from waste streams and speed up innovation.
There will also be a panel on scaling upcycled ingredients, alongside a dedicated TransFoodMission table at the Community Hub, where attendees can bring their ingredient needs and explore potential upcycling solutions. A Hybrid/Balanced Foods Innovation Tour and a dedicated Innovation Hub session will address protein transition.
The Community Hub will feature presentations from organisations including the Sustainable Vanilla Initiative, Food for Biodiversity and UNIDO, while our Sustainability Networking Event will provide an opportunity for people across the sector to connect and share ideas. The conference programme will also cover regulatory compliance, lifecycle assessments and eco-design packaging, giving attendees practical insights they can take back to their businesses.
About Fi Europe
Fi Europe unites the world’s leading food & beverage suppliers, buyers, R&D experts and production specialists all under one roof. From ingredient sourcing and product innovation to industry insights and networking, Fi Europe helps food and beverage professionals discover the solutions, partners and trends shaping the future of the industry.
Fi Europe 2026 | The Leading Global Event For Food Ingredients (figlobal.com)
