Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto will return to EXPONOR on 22 and 23 April 2026, celebrating its tenth edition with a broader focus on packaging, intralogistics, automation and supply chain transformation. The event is expected to bring together more than 90 exhibitors and around 50 industry specialists, reinforcing its role as one of Portugal’s main professional meeting points for packaging and logistics.

Hosted at EXPONOR – Feira Internacional do Porto, the 2026 edition comes at a particularly significant moment for the Portuguese packaging sector. The market is preparing for the rollout of the national Deposit and Return System (SDR), which is expected to reshape the management of PET beverage bottles and single-use metal cans, with collection targets reaching 90% by 2029. That regulatory backdrop gives additional weight to this year’s event, where sustainability, circular economy strategies and technology adoption are expected to feature prominently across both the exhibition floor and the conference agenda.

According to organisers, the show’s tenth edition reflects the growing pace of investment and innovation in automation and logistics. As industrial companies face mounting pressure to improve productivity, reduce waste and modernise fulfilment networks, packaging and intralogistics technologies are becoming increasingly central to competitiveness. This shift is also influencing the profile of exhibitors and visitors, with senior decision-makers from industry, packaging, warehousing and transport expected to attend.

The conference programme will once again be a central attraction, with sessions spread across the Sala DHL and Sala Panattoni. One of the headline presentations will be a keynote by Sofia de Castro Fernandes, who will speak on 22 April about innovation, emotional intelligence and customer relationships. The programme will also include a series of sector-focused forums designed to connect packaging and logistics with broader industrial trends.

Among the themed sessions scheduled are the Logistic & Industrial Build Forum, focused on logistics and industrial real estate, as well as dedicated industry tracks such as the Textile of the Future Day, Wine Day, Automotive Day and the Galician Forum. Professional organisations including APIP, the National Packaging Centre and GS1 Portugal are also expected to participate with their own sessions, further strengthening the event’s technical and industry-led dimension.

A notable part of the programme will be a roundtable organised by Supply Chain Magazine under the title “Infrastructure That Decides Competitiveness – From Concrete to Algorithm: how to design warehouses ready for 2030”. Scheduled for 22 April in Sala Panattoni, the debate will bring together representatives from Logicor, DSV and Körber Supply Chain to discuss how warehouse infrastructure is evolving from a purely physical asset into a more digital, energy-aware and technology-driven platform.

This session is expected to address a key issue for the sector: how decisions made during warehouse design, such as electrical capacity, structural layout and integration capability, can shape operational performance for years to come. In an environment marked by automation, robotics and supply chain volatility, infrastructure flexibility and technology readiness are becoming strategic concerns for logistics operators and industrial occupiers alike.

By combining exhibition space, expert-led conferences and targeted networking opportunities, Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto 2026 is set to provide a broad view of the trends reshaping packaging and logistics in Portugal and across Europe. For the packaging sector in particular, the event offers an important platform to discuss how automation, sustainability regulation and supply chain modernisation are influencing both materials and operations.

As the industry moves deeper into a decade defined by circular economy goals, digitalisation and infrastructure renewal, the tenth edition of the Porto event arrives as more than a trade show. It stands as a barometer for where packaging, logistics and industrial automation are heading next.