From Nuremberg to the world: Innovative ideas from around the globe captivate the audience at iENA 2026

Nuremberg – iENA Nuremberg 2026 has once again demonstrated its status as one of the world’s leading trade fairs for ideas, inventions and innovations. In 2026, too, the fair was characterised by exciting new developments from all over the world, which were showcased here over three days: around 580 inventions from 21 countries and regions were presented.

The inventions on display spanned all areas of life, ranging from technical innovations and scientific developments to practical everyday aids and medical advances. Start-ups, universities and scientific institutions also use iENA as a platform. The highlight of iENA was the medal presentation on Monday evening: an international panel of experts assessed and evaluated all the innovations during the fair, and the most promising inventions were honoured at a formal ceremony.

There was a great deal of media interest in iENA 2026 and the inventions showcased there: national and international media outlets attended the trade fair in Nuremberg and reported on the inventors and their innovations, both on television and radio as well as in print and via international news agencies.

This year, iENA attracted a larger number of visitors than last year, and some visitors took more time to familiarise themselves more thoroughly with the inventions and to engage in detailed discussions with the inventors. This gave many inventors the opportunity to present their innovations in the best possible light to investors, product developers and industry representatives, as well as to interested visitors, and to explain them in detail. For some inventors, concrete business opportunities arose whilst at iENA. Some exhibitors held in-depth discussions, as visitors approached them with many specific questions.

iENA once again demonstrated its strong international character: numerous inventors travelled to Nuremberg from countries and regions such as China, Croatia, Korea, Poland, Thailand and the USA to present their innovations to the public, in some cases for the very first time. Saudi Arabia was a partner of iENA 2026; however, due to the current political situation, a large part of the delegation was unable to attend. A few inventors flew the flag for their nation and provided an insight into the world of invention in Saudi Arabia. Next year, Saudi Arabia will once again be a partner of iENA, in order to offer a platform to even more inventors.

Hack & Make

The combination with the “Hack & Make” creativity and technology festival has once again proved its worth: running alongside iENA, the maker community invited visitors and inventors to get creative themselves and think outside the box. Through workshops, demonstrations and exciting presentations, the makers captivated the visitors.

Nuremberg Innovation Conference

On Monday, the iENA was accompanied by the Nuremberg Innovation Conference, at which experts from business, academia and industry discussed innovation management, technology trends and successful strategies for implementing new ideas. A key focus was on the use of AI in the innovation process. The congress thus covered highly topical issues, and participants praised the quality of the content. The format of the accompanying congress is set to be further expanded for 2027, with new focal points planned.

About iENA Nuremberg

The international trade fair “Ideas – Inventions – New Products” (iENA Nuremberg) has been held in Nuremberg for over 75 years and has established itself as a major platform for inventors, innovators and businesses. Every year, hundreds of inventions from a wide variety of fields are presented to the public here, often laying the foundations for technological and social developments.

Save the Date – iENA 2027

The next edition of the iENA Inventors’ Fair will take place from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th November at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. The iENA will once again be accompanied by the “Hack & Make” creativity and technology festival and the Nuremberg Innovation Conference. In addition, the Consumenta consumer fair will be taking place at the same time.

Statements on iENA 2026

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Mayer, Chairman of the iENA Jury
“I find the junior inventors at iENA, the children and the schools, very interesting. We often assume that young people just sit around looking at their smartphones all day. But here, you can see that they are capable of coming up with new ideas and bringing them to life. This gives me a lot of hope for Germany as a technology hub because there will be people to continue our work. They are the next generation, and I am happy to support them.
At iENA, there is a wide variety of inventions; you just have to be open-minded to see the possibilities. The great variety of inventions on display here is what makes it so inspiring to be here.”

Herbert Boos, Chairman of the German Inventors’ Association
“A trade fair like iENA provides a platform for wishes, dreams, ideas and visions that can be shared with others and for which you receive genuine feedback. At iENA, you have the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people and become part of a community. iENA is therefore a microcosm of the world of invention – not just nationally, but internationally too – and I’m always delighted by these new ideas that fascinate so many people.”

Guo Yan, Representative of the China Association of Inventions (CAI)
“The International Inventors’ Fair in Nuremberg (iENA) is a world-renowned event for innovation and inventors. It offers inventors from all over the world an excellent platform to showcase their innovations and exchange experiences. iENA thus opens up valuable opportunities for talented innovators from different countries to meet and network.
The China Invention Association (CIA) will continue to make extensive use of this international platform in future to showcase outstanding inventions and innovative developments from Chinese universities, research institutions and companies on the international stage. In doing so, we aim to further strengthen innovation cooperation between China and Germany and actively promote civil society-led scientific and technological exchange between the two countries.”

Alex Thommen, Inventor of Flip & Dry, Switzerland
“We won a silver medal at iENA last year. That spurred us on to further develop our product and to take part in iENA again this year. There are some great people here and we enjoy having discussions about patents and ideas. The combination with Consumenta works well; it gives us the opportunity to reach a consumer audience here, who provide us with feedback and show us whether we’re on the right track. You can learn a lot here, and the three days at iENA are a worthwhile investment of time and money, because you go home with more knowledge.”

Professor Dr Sanong Ekgasit, Thailand
“We came here to iENA 2026 as a part of a delegation from the National Research Council of Thailand. We have brought 57 inventions to Nuremberg, with around 200 people here to showcase the inventions from Thailand. We came here to make our inventions and innovations visible, and we hope to get some marketing-partners and maybe find someone to sell our products in Europe. If you have a good idea, come and show it! Come to fairs like this, meet other people and learn from them. You can learn from their successes and from their mistakes, and often you get new ideas or some advice, and you can discuss your invention with other people.”