The 14th edition of Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition is set to open its doors from October 23 to 25, 2026, transforming the industrial backdrop of the Gazometro Ostiense into a sprawling epicenter of global innovation. Organized by the Rome Chamber of Commerce through its special agency Innova Camera, this year’s event promises an expansive showcase featuring more than 400 exhibition stands. The three-day exhibition brings together an eclectic mix of international makers, forward-thinking start-ups, academic institutions, cutting-edge research centers, and global enterprises.
As one of the world’s premier celebrations of the maker movement, the 2026 edition scales up its academic and scholastic involvement, welcoming participation from 26 secondary schools and 27 universities and research centers, which together are showcasing 145 distinct projects. The core program is organized around three foundational pillars: Innovation, Creativity, and Discovery. However, the overarching philosophy remains steadfastly rooted in hands-on experience, encouraging visitors to interact directly with working prototypes, test advanced technologies, converse with the brilliant minds behind the engineering, and witness scientific research transition seamlessly from laboratory benches into the public sphere.
While the historic Gazometro serves as the main venue, part of the extensive programming will also take place at the nearby Istituto Superiore Antincendi, extending the footprint of technology and discovery across the district.
Autonomous Humanoid Robots Take to the Football Pitch
Among the most anticipated highlights for the 2026 edition is the introduction of Italy’s first International Italian Open RoboCup Humanoid Soccer tournament. Moving far beyond static displays, this high-stakes competition features teams of university researchers and technologists pitting autonomous humanoid robots against one another in five-a-side matches. Once the whistle blows, these sophisticated machines operate entirely on their own, processing real-time visual data of the pitch, calculating trajectories, and making independent strategic decisions without any human remote control.
Among the elite competitors is the SPQR team from the Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome. Boasting a rich history in the RoboCup league dating back to 1998 and led by researcher and engineer Vincenzo Suriani, the SPQR team comes fresh off a stellar performance in August, where they reached the finals of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Their achievement as the sole non-Chinese team remaining in contention during the final three days of that competition underscores the high caliber of robotic engineering on display in Rome.
Expanding Robotics Beyond the Laboratory
Running parallel to the main maker exhibitions is I-RIM 3D 2026, the eighth annual conference organized by the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines. The scientific agenda delves deeply into medical and assistive robotics, collaborative systems, Embodied Intelligence, and Physical AI, while also examining the growing integration of autonomous robotic agents within industrial sectors. For the first time, a dedicated I-RIM 3D DEMO program brings these research systems directly to the visiting public through continuous live demonstrations over the three-day event.
Complementing these live exhibitions is the I-RIM 3D Exhibition, which consolidates research breakthroughs from academic institutions nationwide. Meanwhile, the RoboPitch initiative provides selected start-ups and research groups with a direct platform to present proof-of-concept robotics projects to potential investors, corporate partners, and innovation hubs. Adding a vital commercial dimension, CNA Roma is set to explore practical applications, illustrating how smaller enterprises and traditional craftspeople can successfully integrate artificial intelligence and robotics into their daily workflows.
Italian Craftsmanship Meets Advanced Technology
A major thematic addition for 2026 is AvantCraft, a curated exhibition examining the profound transformation underway within traditional Italian craftsmanship. As digital fabrication, advanced robotics, and artificial intelligence permeate traditional workshops, AvantCraft explores how heritage industries are evolving. Curated by Stefano Micelli, Professor of Business and Management at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and organized by Upskill 4.0, the exhibition is divided into three distinct sectors: mobility and precision engineering; contemporary craft encompassing ceramics, glass, scagliola, and inlay; and fashion, high-end jewelry, and sustainable biomaterials.
The physical artifacts on display tell a compelling story of old-world mastery meeting modern engineering. Visitors can examine high-performance vehicles, titanium bicycles, 3D-printed ceramics, meticulously hand-set titanium jewelry, intricate large-scale embroidery, and innovative materials upcycled from industrial waste. A standout exhibit within this category is the Dallara Stradale, a vehicle born from an environment where advanced composite engineering coexists seamlessly with specialist manual assembly. Designed as a mechanically pure, lightweight car, the Stradale deliberately eschews superfluous electronics to focus purely on the analog driving dynamics that matter both on the road and the track.
Human-Centric Technology and Workplace Safety
A significant portion of this year’s exhibits shifts the narrative from theoretical technological capabilities to practical, real-world problem-solving. Institutions such as Inail and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) are presenting advanced research focused entirely on workplace safety, featuring wearable devices, assistive robotics, and specialized training frameworks. Among these is an innovative eye-tracking system designed to study how human operators visually identify potential hazards, shedding light on the psychological aspects of risk perception.
Furthering this human-centric approach is the SIDE haptic exoskeleton, developed collaboratively by Inail and Sapienza University of Rome. The system is engineered to accurately replicate physical forces and interactions within virtual or augmented reality environments. This allows industrial workers to undergo rigorous training simulations for dangerous scenarios, such as navigating confined or potentially hazardous spaces, without exposing them to actual physical danger.
Inail and IIT are also showcasing wearable prototypes like the XoTrunk and FleXoTrunk, which are engineered to provide physical lumbar support during heavy manual handling tasks. Additionally, developers are presenting a sophisticated wearable airbag system integrated with advanced fall-detection technology. Capable of distinguishing between routine physical movement and an accidental fall within milliseconds, the device deploys rapidly to shield the torso, neck, shoulders, and sides from impact.
From Earth Observation to Space Agriculture
Agrifood research is prominently represented at Maker Faire Rome 2026 through collaborative efforts involving CREA, ENEA, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Tuscia spin-off Value Groovers, and the CMCC Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change.
CREA is showcasing advancements in food design, a software-controlled micromalting system, and pioneering 3D food printing technologies. Meanwhile, ENEA is directing its focus toward extreme environments, exploring agricultural techniques suitable for long-term space exploration, cellular agriculture, and plant biotechnology. The National Research Council (CNR) is presenting FoodEye, an analytical tool utilizing spectroscopy to evaluate nutritional properties, verify geographical provenance, and detect potential food contamination or counterfeiting.
In the agricultural tech sector, Value Groovers is introducing a digital platform designed to help farmers optimize plant-protection treatments and pinpoint the exact timing for agricultural interventions. Concurrently, Terravionics is combining Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, Earth observation satellite data, and algorithmic analysis to facilitate proactive tree management. Yeastime approaches biochemical production from a different angle, utilizing proprietary ultrasound technology to accelerate fermentation processes while significantly reducing overall energy consumption.
Integrating Literature into the Tech Discourse
Expanding the cultural breadth of the event, Books@MFR26 introduces a new editorial strand dedicated entirely to science, technology, and societal transformation. The program features discussions and main-stage appearances by authors addressing topics ranging from modern education and space colonization to quantum physics and human relationships. As part of an interactive community initiative, visitors are encouraged to bring a favorite book concerning science or innovation, deliver a two-minute pitch explaining why others should read it, and contribute their volume to a growing shared collection known as the BiblioMaker library.
Iconic Vehicles, Bionic Innovations, and Culinary Robots
True to the spirit of the maker movement, Maker Faire Rome features an eclectic array of idiosyncratic and awe-inspiring projects. Among them is a genuine DeLorean DMC-12—the iconic gull-wing sports car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and immortalized by the Back to the Future franchise—which travels to Rome courtesy of Switzerland’s Enter Technikwelt Solothurn museum.
On the motorsport front, Sapienza Corse presents the Gajarda AWD Hybrid Driverless, a Formula Student racing car equipped with high-resolution cameras and autonomous actuators capable of mapping and navigating a racecourse without a driver behind the wheel. Demonstrating the impressive ingenuity of younger creators, a 17-year-old Italian maker is exhibiting a neural headset that translates subtle physiological signals into direct digital commands, alongside a 3D-printed bionic hand that mimics human gestures using computer vision and electromyographic feedback.
Industrial history meets modern interactive media in the Da-Vinci Bicycle, where visitors pedal a stationary apparatus that physically drives Leonardo da Vinci’s conceptual aerial screw while simultaneously experiencing simulated flight through virtual reality. For physics enthusiasts, the Gran Sasso Science Institute brings dark-matter research out of the underground laboratories and into the public eye via interactive cloud chamber demonstrations linked to the ongoing DarkSide-20k experiment.
Everyday automation also finds a playful yet sophisticated outlet in Robby Minichef, a prototype kitchen robot designed to observe a professional chef, learn intricate culinary movements and timings, and independently reproduce complex dishes such as traditional spaghetti cacio e pepe. Demonstrating practical engineering at a larger scale, a Sardinian maker has constructed P3DALO, a five-meter inflatable pedal boat whose structural components and paddlewheel were predominantly manufactured using a standard desktop 3D printer, with a modular design compact enough to be disassembled and transported in a standard automobile.
CNR Highlights Open Science and Living Robots
The National Research Council (CNR) returns with a robust selection of projects, interactive workshops, and live demonstrations spanning environmental science, open research, medicine, and robotics. Among the most striking exhibits is "Babots," which investigates biological animal robotics through the use of microscopic C. elegans worms whose behaviors have been carefully modified for potential use in indoor farming applications.
Other CNR contributions include a water-harvesting project utilizing 3D-printed materials to extract potable water directly from atmospheric humidity, Melandetect, an application-based approach to predictive diagnostics, and RoseBio, a research initiative dedicated to personalized oncology. Furthermore, the GLAM project highlights open science and cultural heritage by celebrating the centenary of the CNR Central Library Guglielmo Marconi.
Education, Hands-On Learning, and the Energy Transition
Emphasizing the foundational principle that genuine learning stems from active participation, the Educational and Gaming area offers immersive activities rather than passive observation. MakerCamp, recognized as Italy’s sole Official Minecraft Partner and Minecraft Education Partner, is leading coding and problem-solving workshops built around the popular platform. This ties into the annual STEAM in Minecraft competition, which has already drawn registrations from 417 primary and secondary school classes across Italy. Additional educational activities include robotics competitions, circuit-printing workshops, augmented reality experiences, and collaborative space exploration programs hosted in partnership with the European Space Agency.
In the domain of vocational training and industry readiness, MAIRE is participating through Fondazione MAIRE ETS and the newly established Green Innovation ITS Academy. Designed to train specialized technical personnel for the ongoing energy transition, the academy is supported by founding members including MAIRE, Acea, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Orange Branded, regional schools, the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Unindustria Perform, and CNOS-FAP Lazio Salesiani, with its inaugural two-year training program scheduled to launch in Rome by November 2026. Complementing this, Unindustria is sponsoring ten member start-ups to exhibit their innovations free of charge at the fair.
Design and Future Scenarios
The broader implications of technology on society are explored through several dedicated institutional partnerships. NABA presents AURORA, a student project developed within its Graphic Design and Art Direction program, while Assoutenti APS hosts the ninth edition of Expo Consumatori, examining how artificial intelligence, financial literacy, cybersecurity, and circular economic models impact everyday consumer choices. Additionally, Maker Faire Rome serves as a founding member of Ecosistema Futuro—promoted by the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS)—which brings together over 100 organizations to study long-term societal megatrends. IED Rome contributes "Design for Schools" in collaboration with GAM Gonzagarredi Montessori, utilizing scale models and co-design workshops to reimagine modern educational environments.
Regional innovation hubs are similarly well-represented. Tecnopolo Roma highlights technological advancements originating from its Tiburtino and Castel Romano hubs, alongside initiatives from the R.O.M.E. Digital Hub and the EU Erasmus+ project E.U-Re.C.o.V.E, which focuses on urban social regeneration and technological adaptation.
Competitions, Institutional Backing, and Practical Information
Maker Faire Rome 2026 hosts several prominent competitions designed to spotlight sustainable innovation and digital transformation. The MakeITcircular 2026 competition, promoted by national consumer associations under the auspices of the CNCU, awards a €3,000 top prize for products and services championing durability, repairability, and circular consumption. Similarly, the Top of the PID 2026 initiative, organized by Unioncamere through the Italian Chambers of Commerce, recognizes small and medium-sized enterprises successfully integrating Industry 4.0 technologies and artificial intelligence.
Institutional support remains vital to the event’s scale and international reach. Eni returns as the Main Partner for the thirteenth consecutive year, hosting the fair within the industrial grounds of the Gazometro Ostiense—an area currently undergoing broader urban regeneration, including the development of the ROAD (Rome Advanced District). Marking the centenary of Agip, Eni’s interactive "Pioneers to Makers" installation utilizes multimedia projections and virtual reality to chronicle a century of energy research, while the Eni2050 Lab showcases ongoing studies in biofuels, renewable energy storage, and carbon capture technologies.
Additional institutional backing is provided by Regione Lazio through its regional programs, Lazio Innova, Roma Capitale via the Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti, and the Italian Trade Agency, which facilitated the international delegation of investors, journalists, and industry bloggers.
Maker Faire Rome 2026 is promoted and organized by the Rome Chamber of Commerce via Innova Camera, curated by Alessandro Ranellucci alongside area coordinators, and produced in collaboration with Regione Lazio, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, Inail, InfoCamere, Dintec, Tecnopolo Roma, Unindustria, and CNA Roma. Tickets for the 14th edition are available exclusively online through the official website at makerfairerome.eu.
