From 12 to 15 March 2026, EXCEL4MED participated in the 31st International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (AGROTICA) in Thessaloniki (Greece).
Recognised as one of the leading agricultural trade fairs in Southeast Europe, the event attracted exhibitors, professionals and organisations from around the world, creating an ideal environment to exchange ideas and discuss the future of sustainable agriculture.
Taking circular innovation directly to the agricultural community
EXCEL4MED was represented at AGROTICA by partners from Malta Life Sciences Park (Malta Enterprise), who welcomed visitors to the project’s stand and introduced them to our vision of giving Mediterranean fruit by-products a second life.
Throughout the exhibition, our partners engaged with farmers, technology providers and other agri-food professionals, presenting EXCEL4MED’s research and discussing how circular approaches can create new opportunities for the agricultural sector.
Around 100 visitors stopped at the stand to learn more about EXCEL4MED, while project leaflets helped raise awareness of its objectives and ongoing work.
Conversations focused on how citrus and pomegranate by-products, traditionally considered low-value residues, can be transformed into valuable functional ingredients through environmentally friendly extraction technologies.
A meeting point for innovation and international collaboration
The 2026 edition of AGROTICA demonstrated its growing international profile, welcoming 1,520 exhibitors from 42 countries and recording significant increases in both international participation and trade visitors compared with the previous edition.
The exhibition also introduced a programme of organised B2B meetings, further strengthening its role as a hub for business cooperation and knowledge exchange across the agricultural sector.
For EXCEL4MED, participating in such an international event offered a great opportunity to present the project’s objectives to a diverse audience and engage directly with stakeholders who play a key role in the transition towards more sustainable agricultural and food systems.
As research continues to advance, exchanges with farmers, industry representatives and technology providers remain essential to ensure that our innovative solutions respond to real challenges across Mediterranean fruit value chains.
