In brief
The iENA fair opened Saturday in Nuremberg, presenting nearly 600 inventions—most first shown there—and highlighting green tech, AI, and sustainable solutions. A three‑day event will also host an Innovation Congress on November 2 to discuss AI and collaborative innovation. The fair, organized by AFAG, aims to connect inventors with industry and research partners.
The 2026 iENA international invention fair opened on Saturday in Nuremberg, Germany, drawing nearly 600 innovations from over 20 countries and regions onto its three‑day exhibition floor.
According to the event organizer, the majority of the showcased items—about 98 percent—are being presented to the public for the first time at the fair, with a particular emphasis on green technologies, artificial intelligence, and sustainable solutions that span environmental protection, energy technologies, mobility, electrical engineering, information technology, teaching and research.
The event is run by AFAG, an exhibition organizer founded in 1948, which says the fair’s purpose is to present the latest worldwide innovations to companies and the general public, enabling inventors to explore commercial opportunities and gather user feedback. AFAG’s managing director, Henning Koenicke, noted that iENA offers a forum where research partners and companies can collaborate to help bring inventions to market.
In addition to the exhibition, the fair includes an accompanying program that focuses on artificial intelligence and collaborative innovation. A separate Nuremberg Innovation Congress is scheduled for November 2, where topics such as AI and cooperative innovation strategies will be addressed by industry experts and academics.
Patrons of the fair report that the lineup reflects a mix of both business and societal priorities, with a notable representation of environmental and energy solutions. The fair’s layout displays a range of sectors—from mobility and electrical engineering to information technology and academic research—highlighting the interconnected nature of modern innovation ecosystems.
Organizers emphasize that the fair provides a global stage: nearly 600 inventions from around the world, predominately new to the German market, showcase how advances in green tech and AI can be translated into practical, market‑ready products. The event also serves as a networking arena where inventors, investors, and policymakers converge.
Overall, the 2026 iENA fair opens a platform for emerging green and AI‑driven inventions, while the upcoming Innovation Congress intends to deepen discussion of collaborative pathways for real‑world implementation.
