Pastaria Festival 2026 Science Day to Explore Pasta Ingredients, Structures, and Processes

Pastaria Festival has published the programme for its Science & Innovation Day, an academic conference titled "Rethinking Pasta: Ingredients, Structures, Processes," set to anchor the first day of the Pastaria Fair & Festival 2026 at Stazione Leopolda in Florence on March 30. The announcement appeared on the Pastaria Festival website on March 17, 2026, framing the session as a focal forum within what organizers describe as the pasta manufacturing industry's most significant international gathering.

The broader two-day event runs March 30 and 31 at Stazione Leopolda, a landmark venue in Florence, and marks the 10th edition of the fair. Pastaria magazine organizes the event in collaboration with leading pasta associations and universities, combining a trade exhibition of machinery, ingredients, and services for pasta plants with a conference programme covering sustainability, research, global markets, digitalisation, and new consumer trends.

At least one exhibitor has confirmed plans to sponsor the Science & Innovation Day's academic conference directly. An Instagram post from a participating company references "New technological models ranging from" in connection with the "Rethinking Pasta" session, though the post was truncated and full details were not available. The conference format, speaker list, and session schedule had not been published in materials available at the time of this report.

Three prominent industry suppliers have already announced their participation in the wider fair. Italian Food Technology, known in the sector as IFT, published a press announcement on January 23, 2026, confirming it will exhibit at Stazione Leopolda, with a booth number to be confirmed closer to the event. Pasta machinery manufacturer Fava S.p.A., headquartered in Cento in the Ferrara province, will return to the fair after previous editions, stating it will present its "most advanced innovations and the latest developments in the processing of this extraordinary product." Equipment and ingredients supplier Ricciarelli S.p.A. has also confirmed its presence, describing participation as "entering the heart of innovation in the sector."

All conference sessions will be simultaneously translated into English, a feature the organizers highlight as essential for a globally attended event. Admission to both days is free but restricted to pasta producers, with mandatory registration required via fierapastaria.com. A single registration yields a ticket valid for both March 30 and 31.

With the Science & Innovation Day programme now published and exhibitor confirmations accumulating, the 10th Pastaria Fair & Festival is shaping up as a densely programmed event for anyone working across the pasta supply chain, from raw ingredient science to large-scale industrial processing.