From 23 to 25 September 2026, the Rimini Expo Centre in Rimini, Italy, will host the first edition of BEX – Beyond Exploration Expo, the new international expo-conference dedicated to the Space Economy and the convergence between the space industry and terrestrial industry, promoted by IEG – Italian Exhibition Group.
In support of BEX's international reach, IEG has opened discussions with the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the National Research Council (CNR) and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM). The Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Air Force have already confirmed their patronage, joining the leading governmental, regional and sector trade associations.
The expo-conference
BEX is born to position Italy at the centre of the international debate on space, with the ambition of becoming the European reference point where industry, research, institutions and new sectors together chart the trajectories of the next economy. Because value is not created solely from space to Earth, nor solely from Earth to space: it is created at the meeting point.
The event combines B2B business with outreach and training sessions, opening its doors to universities, researchers and future professionals. Its objective is to stimulate dialogue between the traditional space supply chain, emerging industrial sectors and the entire innovation ecosystem – fostering cross-pollination between seemingly distant fields, from food to fashion, from health to logistics, from automotive to energy.
Key topics
BEX will cover the entire supply chain: from components and launch systems through to orbital stations (upstream), encompassing non-traditional industrial sectors discovering new commercial opportunities in space, and extending to satellite data-based services already transforming agriculture, mobility, energy and security (downstream).
Significant focus will also be dedicated to the development of autonomous multi-domain systems (space, aeronautics, underwater, terrestrial), both as operational solutions and as test platforms for technological and industrial innovation.
The event will also feature a cross-sector area – the Open Innovation District – dedicated to start-ups, universities, research centres, government agencies, venture capital, incubators and business accelerators, reflecting the commitment to engaging the entire innovation ecosystem.
BEX will also host The Astronaut's Home, a project with a completely original perspective: the fundamental needs of life in space – sleeping, eating, exercising, healthcare, getting dressed – as a driver of industrial innovation. In space, every everyday function becomes an engineering challenge requiring radically new solutions. Those same solutions, once developed, can unlock concrete opportunities for terrestrial industries.
Events and partners
The opening day, September 23, 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.
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 start-ups, 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 Italian 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 start-ups.
More information about BEX, its events programme and how to visit it free of charge is available on the official website of the expo-conference.
