1. Of the over 1,000 brands exhibiting at Italian Exhibition Group’s energy transition event, to be
held from 4 th to 6 th March at Rimini Expo Centre, about 32% will be foreign
2. Over 500 hosted buyers and delegations from around 50 countries are expected to attend
3. Focus on cooperation with Africa: the Africa Investment HUB will make its debut in Hall D3
Rimini, 9 th February 2026 – KEY – The Energy Transition Expo, Italian Exhibition Group's (IEG) leading event
in Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean basin on energy transition, will be back from 4 th to 6 th March at
Rimini Expo Centre with an even greater international profile.
This coming edition will accelerate the event’s growth, confirming its role as a global energy hub, and
launch it even further beyond national and European borders. The aim is to extend dialogue between
markets, institutions and operators from all over the world and speed up the journey towards achieving
decarbonisation targets.
Over 1,000 exhibiting brands are expected to attend, of which about 32% will be foreign (from 30
countries), as well as over 500 hosted buyers and delegations from around 50 countries thanks to the
support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade
Agency (ITA).
Markets targeted by KEY 2026 will include North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Turkey and
Europe, with particular focus on Germany, Spain, the UK, Poland, Serbia and the Balkan area in general.
A Japanese delegation, involved in collaboration with H2IT and the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Clust-ER
Greentech as part of the hydrogen partnership between the two countries and as a follow-up to IEG's
mission to EXPO OSAKA, will also be attending for the first time.
For those travelling from Spain, the LuxWing airline will be operating a direct flight between Madrid and
Rimini.
DPE – INTERNATIONAL ELECTRICITY EXPO
INITIATIVES FOR AFRICA
In line with Mattei Plan priorities, the growing centrality of the African continent in the global energy
transition and in European energy and industrial policies, KEY aims to strengthen cooperation between
Italy and Africa by connecting businesses, institutions and investors to favour new synergies.
As part of the event’s new layout, Hall D3 will include the Africa Investment HUB, a brand new 126 m²
area, which will host African industry associations from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, the Ivory Coast,
Senegal and South Africa and provide a specific space for networking and business meetings.
KEY will also be collaborating with Piantando, a B Corp that launches, finances, and monitors projects with a
high social and environmental impact. During the event, and as part of Piantando's “Light Up” initiative,
three solar street lamps will be installed in a village in Malawi.
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
The event schedule, defined by KEY's Technical Scientific Committee, will include around 18 events in
English for international visitors and operators.
Wednesday 4 th March:
1. Next Generation AI for a carbon-free built environment, organised by KEY's Technical Scientific
Committee: a discussion with international experts and professionals on the latest innovations,
technologies and projects that use Artificial Intelligence to support the decarbonisation of the built
environment. A comprehensive overview of concrete applications, benefits, critical issues, and future
prospects with a particular focus on the consequences in industrial, urban and civil terms, as well as
opportunities for companies, public administrations and sector stakeholders.
Thursday 5 th March:
1. Strengthening collaboration between Italy and Japan on hydrogen technology innovations, organised
by H2IT, Cluster Greentech and JH2A – Japan Hydrogen Association: based on the Memorandum of
Understanding between H2IT and JH2A, the event aims to strengthen the partnership between Italy
and Japan in the hydrogen sector. The Italian Embassy in Tokyo, NEDO and industrial players from both
countries will be participating.
2. Electric Car Charging Networks: Where Do We Stand in Italy and Europe, organised by GSE and Motus-
E: a discussion between operators, institutions, regulators and dealers to assess the opportunities and
challenges for creating an efficient and widespread charging network in Italy and Europe
3. Dual harvest, double trouble: Tackling EPC barriers in agrivoltaics design, organised by PV Magazine,
on the technical and engineering challenges from a European perspective
4. Italy in the European and international agrivoltaics scene, organised by AIAS – Italian Sustainable
Agrivoltaics Association
5. How Norwegian offshore wind supply chain cluster members can support the bankability of FOW in
Italy, organised by Norwegian OHshore Wind (NOW)
6. Towards a Circular Economy for Solar and Energy Storage: Strategies and Innovations in PV and
Battery Recycling, organised by ETA Florence, in collaboration with Ecomondo
7. GERMAN-ITALIAN Energy Talk on hydrogen, organised by Hannover Fairs International, Hydrogen +
Fuel Cells EUROPE, ITKAM, DIE GAS- UND WASSERSTOFFWIRTSCHAFT and H2IT
8. Powering Italy’s Storage Decade: Markets, Technologies & the Road to 95 GWh, organised by IBESA
9. Bridging academia and industry: shared pathways for the energy transition, organised by Sapienza
University of Rome to foster debate among researchers, industry and policy makers, laying the
foundations for the 2027 Scientific Conference
10. Solar PV/Wind and Battery Storage Systems: the key to energy self-sufficiency, Driving Africa’s
Energy Transition, organised by Res4Africa
11. Energy Communities Beyond Borders: Scalable Models from the Western Balkans, organised by the
Emilia-Romagna Region and ART-ER
12. Türkiye’s Energy Transition and Investment Outlook: A Platform for Italian–Turkish Collaboration,
organised by Invest in Türkiye
Friday 6 th March:
1. Multiple financing instruments need to be scaled up to accelerate Africa’s energy future and to
improve energy access, organised by Res4Africa
2. Italy’s Solar Transformation: Business Models, Policy Shifts & ESG for the Next Decade, organised by
IBESA
3. EPBD & One-Stop-Shop: Technical assistance facilities to boost building energy renovation, organised
by ENEA
4. Fit4Micro – Clean and Efficient MicroCHCP by Micro Turbine Based Hybrid Systems, organised by ETA
Florence in the DPE – International Electricity Expo schedule
