The FESPA Southern European Congress 2026 will take place on 11–12 November in Porto, Portugal. The two-day event will bring together speciality print professionals from five Southern European countries to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability and innovation in the printing industry.
The congress will be held at HF Ipanema Porto. Five FESPA member associations are organising the event: FESPA France, FESPA Italia, FESPA España, APIGRAF (Portugal) and FESPA Hellas Association (Greece).
The event will bring together business owners, CEOs, senior managers, suppliers and technology leaders. Participants will represent screen printing, digital printing, textile printing and signage sectors.
AI and Automation on the Congress Agenda
The programme will begin on 11 November with a speed networking session. It will connect printing companies, suppliers and industry associations.
A market overview titled Big Picture: The Southern European Printing Industry will follow. Next, Helder Martins and Luis Loureiro of SISTRADE will discuss artificial intelligence in the printing and packaging industry.
Walter Bano will also present a session titled Fotoba: Automation, Sustainability and Cost Reduction in Large Format Finishing.
On 12 November, business leaders from the five member associations will share their industry experiences. The session, titled Innovation Best Practices, will feature:
Jorge Nogueira, CEO of Sign
Ander Soriano, General Manager of ESTUDIOS DURERO
Sébastien Trautmann, President of Groupe Oxysign
Chris Trochoutsos, IT Director and R&D Project Manager at Pressious Arvanitidis
Nikolaos Ferous, Managing Director of FERCON Consultancy
Additionally, Graeme Richardson-Locke, FESPA’s Head of Associations and Technical Lead, will lead sessions on sustainability.
Industry Visits and Networking
The congress will conclude with visits to three companies from the print, graphic arts and textile sectors. These visits will give participants an opportunity to explore industry operations and developments.
The FESPA Southern European Congress began in 2015 with associations from France, Italy and Spain. Portugal’s APIGRAF joined later, while the Greek association became part of the initiative in 2023.
The event now connects FESPA members across five countries. It provides a platform to discuss shared challenges, including customer expectations, workforce shortages, investment and new technologies.
Registration for the 2026 congress is open.
Registration: FESPA Southern European Congress 2026 Registration
