Industry professionals around the world will assemble in Bologna, Italy for the 2024 edition of EIMA International featuring the latest innovations, market insights and trends in the agricultural sector, that will assist in feeding a steadily increasing global population
The 46th edition of EIMA International, one of the world’s premier exhibitions for agricultural machinery, equipment and components, is set to take place on 6-10 November in Bologna, Italy. Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, this year promises to be a landmark event, building on the success of its previous edition in 2022 which saw 327,100 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors.
New innovations
Showcasing over the latest agricultural machinery and technological solutions across the 355,000 square metre exhibition floor, this year’s edition of EIMA International will be divided into 14 product sectors. “More than 1,700 manufacturers are expected to come to Bologna, 600 of which are foreign, and they will exhibit over 60,000 models representing 14 product sectors, from machines, implements and components, to digital systems, and right up to highly automated agricultural robots,” says Fabio Ricci, deputy director of FederUnacoma.
“Every country in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania is confronted with the need to meet a growing demand for food”
Of the 14 product sectors, five will be specialised based on key themes in the agricultural and gardening sectors. EIMA Componenti, the first sector dedicated to components, will showcase a broad range of parts, spares and accessories for agricultural machinery. The second sector, EIMA green, will specialise in machinery and equipment for gardening and the maintenance of parks, outdoor areas and sports facilities. EIMA Energy is packed with technologies using renewable energy resources. This section offers a wide panorama of machinery and technologies for the economic management of agro-energy supply chains in all production and environmental settings. Other than the exhibition itself, the EIMA Energy showcase also provides an outside area for demonstration trials of new generation machinery and systems. Concentrated on technological solutions for water management, EIMA Idrotech focuses on need for water in agriculture and making advanced technologies for water management. Devoted to the most advanced electronic technologies, the EIMA Digital exhibition area offers a broad overview of the IT and telematics applications that increasingly characterise modern agriculture.
In the outdoor section, the REAL (robotics and electronics for agriculture live) area will see demonstrations from the most advanced drones and robotic technologies highlighting the growing importance of automation and digital solutions in modern agriculture. This section will also be situated alongside an arena for the parade of finalists for Tractor of the Year, the demonstration area of bioenergy supply chains created in collaboration with ITABIA, and the Garden E-Motion area, dedicated to machines for gardening and greenery care.
An international affair
EIMA International stands as one of the most globalised events in the world trade fair panorama with the 2024 edition expected to welcome operators from 150 countries, ranging from the US, Thailand and Australia to Nigeria and the Bahamas. This diverse international presence underscores the exhibition’s significance in the global agricultural sector. In 2023, the international agricultural machinery market accounted for around US$164 billion – of which US$57 billion related to agricultural tractors, US$73 billion related to other types of machinery and equipment, and US$34 billion was allocated to sector components. Worldwide data on trade in tractors indicates a growth of 4.7% per year over the last 15 years but the demand for machinery is set to grow further. The business sector is historically concentrated in the four large markets of India (over 900,000 tractors registered in 2023), China (380,000), the United States (250,000) and Europe (158,000). Now the demand for machinery will grow in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey and many others. “This growth is the reason why a trade fair event like EIMA is so important, the reason why the presence of foreign operators, country by country, promises to be increasingly widespread and well-informed,” says Mariateresa Maschio, president of organisers FederUnacoma.
“More than 1,700 manufacturers are expected to come to Bologna, 600 of which are foreign, and they will exhibit over 60,000 models representing 14 product sectors”
More than just a showcase
Over 150 conferences, workshops and conferences will take place over the course of the four-day event addressing trends in modern agriculture. Updates on technologies and policies for agriculture and agro-mechanics will be divided by product sector and organised partly within the five specialised sections – components, energy, green, hydrotech and digital. The themes that will be addressed in topic-specific meetings will have an international scope, delving into the global crisis of water resources, the cultivation of marginal territories and extreme areas of the planet, and the creation of the free trade area on the African continent, for which a dedicated forum will be held. “EIMA’s technical contents and also economic and political values make it an reference point for operators, farmers, contractors, agro-mechanical technicians, professional and trade organisations, as well as for researchers, students, public administrations, municipalities and the ranks of hobby farmers, lovers of gardening and activities in a rural environment,” says Simona Rapastella, general director of FederUnacoma.
EIMA Campus, organised in collaboration with the Italian Society of Agricultural Engineering, AIIA, will also have a prominent position at the 2024 event. It is aimed at bringing together universities and research facilities to support farmers in the development of products and services.
The event will also feature the EIMA Desk which is an area dedicated to training and safety, providing assistance services and consultation for businesspeople, demonstrations activities and a schedule of events on current issues such as public financial tenders, revision, learners licenses and work opportunities for young people, as well as information on bio-energy supply chains.
Since 1986, FederUnacoma has sponsored the Technical Innovation Competition, and this year is no different. Open to all exhibitors, the competition recognises manufacturers with exceptionally innovative products for the agricultural and gardening sectors. “The Technical Innovation Competition-Exhibition, which is one of the strong points of the Bologna event, showcases completely new technologies designed and developed by companies and placed into series production,” explains Rapastella. “This year includes 67 award-winning models that embrace the widest range of products, ranging from tractors to operating vehicles, and equipment to applied electronics.” The technologies receiving accolades will be announced during a ceremony on 3 October.
The future of agriculture
As the agricultural sector continues to face an ever-changing market situation, EIMA 2024 stands as a crucial event for industry professionals, wherever they are in the world. “EIMA International is an event of enormous importance, from a promotional and commercial point of view it is the exhibition that manufacturers around the world, from major global brands to highly specialized niche industries, choose to present their range and all the new products,” says Maschio. “Every country in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania is confronted with the need to meet a growing demand for food products both in terms of quantity and quality and at the same time with the urgency of reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, drastically reducing water consumption, preserving biodiversity, as well as significantly improving the quality of life of rural communities. All this is only possible through modern agricultural mechanisation.
“The market will grow to meet a demand that does not stop. The export planning forecasts for the near future confirm the positive trend, with average annual increases of 6.3% until 2027 for tractors and 5.9% for other types of machines. The EIMA event taking place in Bologna will once again be the driver of innovation – the element that pushes agriculture towards the future.”
This article first appeared in the October issue of iVT
