- Mindtech presented its 5th edition, which will be held April 27–29, 2027, at the Vigo Exhibition Center (IFEVI), having established itself as the leading industrial trade show in the Iberian region. The organizers expect to bring together more than 250 exhibitors, 100 speakers, and 10,000 visitors from more than 17 countries, with hundreds of B2B meetings.
- Speakers at the official launch event included Justo Sierra, president of Mindtech; Enrique Mallón, CEO of Mindtech; Abel Caballero, mayor of Vigo; David Regades, State Delegate to the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium; Luisa Sánchez, vice president of the Pontevedra Provincial Council; Javier Domínguez, director of the Department of Energy for the Regional Government of Galicia; and Lino Comesaña, director of Institutional Business for Galicia, Northern Spain, and Portugal at Abanca.
The official opening ceremony for the Mindtech trade show was held this morning in the auditorium at the Vigo Fairgrounds (Ifevi).
Mindtech, Where Industry Meets Technology, is the leading industrial trade show in the Iberian region, and it will hold its 5th edition from April 27 to 29, 2027, in Vigo.
During the launch event, representatives from the fair’s organizing and collaborating entities spoke about business opportunities and highlighted the collaborative efforts that have helped establish the fair as a leading event for the metal sector and its associated technologies in the Iberian region. A promotional video for the 5th edition of Mindtech was also shown.
Enrique Mallón, CEO of Mindtech, began by noting that “one of the main reasons for holding this event every year is, on the one hand, to express our gratitude to the partner organizations that have unanimously supported Mindtech from the very beginning, and the other reason—why not say it—is to raise our profile, because in the days following the event, we receive new registrations from exhibitors and visitors; therefore, I believe it is a very useful event.”
The Director General also put the fair’s history and growth into perspective, noting that Mindtech is now in its fifth year and recalling the project’s evolution since its inception.
Along those lines, Justo Sierra, President of Mindtech, emphasized that “Mindtech has a very clear mission: to connect the industrial capacity of the Iberian Hub with the opportunities offered by technology, innovation, and access to new markets.”
He also highlighted the event’s growth and international reach, noting that Along those lines, Justo Sierra, President of Mindtech, emphasized that “Mindtech has a very clear mission: to connect the industrial capacity of the Iberian Hub with the opportunities offered by technology, innovation, and access to new markets.”
The President of Mindtech expressed his gratitude for the support of the institutions and partner organizations that have backed the project since its inception: the Regional Government of Galicia, the City Council of Vigo, the Provincial Council of Pontevedra, the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium, Abanca, and IFEVI. In this regard, he emphasized that “supporting Mindtech means supporting our industry, our companies, and Galicia’s ability to compete in an increasingly demanding environment.”
Finally, he acknowledged the work of the organizing team, which spends two years preparing each edition so that, during the three days of the fair, companies can focus on their main goal: generating business opportunities.
During the official opening ceremony, institutional representatives from the fair’s partner organizations—which have supported it since its first edition—also spoke, highlighting the importance of an event like this for Galicia’s industrial and technology sectors.
Lino Comesaña, Director of Institutional Business for Galicia, Northern Spain, and Portugal at Abanca, described Mindtech as “a prime example of the kind of relationship and cooperation that typically exists between public administrations and the private sector.”
“It is a reflection of our great industry, and since Mindtech began in 2019, there have been many challenges—such as pandemics and geopolitical conflicts, among others—that have tested both the resilience of the organization and the organization itself.”
He also took the opportunity to express his gratitude that Abanca is a partner of the trade show: “I am proud to be a part of this and to do my small part in making Pontevedra—and Vigo in particular—the global center of attention for the industrial sector for three days.”
Javier Domínguez, Director of the Department of Energy of the Xunta de Galicia, highlighted Mindtech’s origins as a forum for the industrial sector and noted that, from the very beginning, the Xunta de Galicia recognized it as a strategic initiative that it should support.
In this regard, he emphasized that supporting the trade show means “boosting Galicia’s business community, promoting internationalization, creating jobs, and strengthening competitiveness,” especially at a time of economic growth for Galicia, in which industry plays a key role.
He also referred to the performance of Galicia’s industrial economy, which grew by 2.6% in 2025, and to the importance of employment in the industrial sector, with 193,000 people employed, according to the data cited during his remarks. He also emphasized the need to continue making progress in areas such as the automotive industry, artificial intelligence, and robotics in order to compete in an increasingly globalized market.
Domínguez concluded by emphasizing that the Xunta de Galicia “will continue to stand by the industry, will continue to support initiatives like Mindtech, and wants not only for more production to take place in Galicia, but also for that production to be of higher quality.”
Luisa Sánchez, Vice President of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, began by highlighting that Mindtech “is a trade show that emerged from the industry itself and is now a leading event in the metal sector and related technologies in the Iberian region, with staggering numbers of exhibitors, visitors, meetings, and speakers.”
He also reaffirmed the Pontevedra Provincial Council’s commitment to the fair, which he described as “an initiative that has taken on a life of its own,” and highlighted the importance of “It will be held in Pontevedra and Vigo, a city that knows what industry is all about. And it knows this because of its automotive sector, its shipyards, its supplier companies, its engineering firms, and the companies that work for different clients from different countries. There is a business culture here that certainly cannot be improvised, as it has been built up over decades by business owners and workers who have known how to adapt to markets and new technologies that are constantly changing.”
David Regades, State Delegate for the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium, highlighted Mindtech’s role as a showcase for Galicia’s industrial and technological potential, emphasizing the business ecosystem that enables the sector’s growth and expansion. In this regard, he noted that “the share of the technology sector in Spain’s economy stands at around 6%, while in the Vigo area it reaches 13.4%, surpassing other major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Zaragoza.”
In this vein, Regades highlighted the vital role of technology and industrial companies in economic development and job creation, emphasizing that “none of this would make sense without all of you,” in reference to the business community that drives the region’s economic activity and competitiveness.
He also highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration at the trade show and throughout the industrial ecosystem as a model for success in strengthening the industrial and technological ecosystem: “You have been able to understand that public-private collaboration was the model for success.”
Regarding the Free Trade Zone Consortium’s support for the Mindtech trade show, he defended the strategic nature of these initiatives and stated that “this is not an expense; it is an investment,” since they help both showcase Galicia’s industrial potential and lay the groundwork for “the future of industry and the future of technology.”
Abel Caballero, Mayor of the City of Vigo, highlighted the role of institutions and the commitment to new technologies in driving the city’s industrial transformation. In this regard, he emphasized that “Vigo is joining the technological forefront and ‘the frontier of human knowledge,’” something that, as he noted, seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
The mayor described Mindtech’s history as “the chronicle of a success story in the making” and highlighted the determination of the companies and associations behind the trade show to showcase Galicia’s industrial and technological potential to the world. He also emphasized that “Mindtech represents a new way of understanding industry, technology, and institutional cooperation, adapted to the challenges of today.”
Caballero also emphasized that the success of this model is based on the existence of “a business ecosystem with an entrepreneurial culture, a capacity for risk-taking, and a drive for technological innovation.” Finally, he expressed his support for the fair and his hope that it would have “a long and successful future,” reaffirming the City Council of Vigo’s commitment to cooperating with Mindtech in future editions.
“After four editions, Mindtech has established itself as a cornerstone of the industrial and technological sector in the Iberian region. In 2027, it will once again bring together this hub of knowledge, innovation, and networking in Vigo, where more than 250 exhibitors, 100 speakers, hundreds of B2B meetings, and over 10,000 visitors from more than 17 countries are expected,” the organizers note.
In this 5th edition, Mindtech will once again feature all the leading industries in the sector, including security and defense, robotics and automation, automotive, aeronautics and aerospace, metalworking, metal structures, renewable energy, new technologies, supplies and engineering, and industrial subcontracting, among many others.
The trade show is also reinforcing its international character during this fifth edition with the notable presence of companies from countries that have been partners since the very first edition, including Portugal, Colombia, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Germany, Norway, and Finland, among others.
The Startup Arena will once again showcase the technologies and business models of the future and host a competition between the most innovative start-ups, which will present their solutions to potential investors at the heart of the Mindtech fair.
The Mindtech Awards will once again recognise the most outstanding organisations and companies for their work in areas such as innovation, technology 4.0, corporate social responsibility, renewable energy, cybersecurity and sectoral collaboration. The awards will be open for entries in the coming weeks.
In addition, B2B meetings will be held to foster high-value-added business contacts, and the latest international developments and trends will be discussed at the Mindtech International Conference and during thematic sessions on topics such as security and defense, the future of mobility, automation, digitization, innovation and entrepreneurship, energy, aerospace, and attracting professionals to the sector.
For more information about the leading trade show for the industrial and technology sectors in the Iberian region, please visit its website: www.mindtechvigo.com
