The inaugural AGV Expo, held in Piacenza, Italy, at the end of October, 2026, attracted more than 1,000 visitors and provided a useful snapshot of developments in automated material handling, mobile robotics and industrial logistics.
Organized by Mediapoint & Exhibitions, the three-day event brought together manufacturers, systems integrators and technology suppliers working with automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and associated technologies.
The exhibition highlighted a market that continues to develop beyond traditional automated warehouses, with increasing interest in flexible systems that can operate within existing factories and logistics facilities.
New machines and changing applications
Among the product launches was PROXAUT’s UNDER-X, a compact AGV introduced as the Italian manufacturer celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Measuring just 96 cm long and 42 cm wide, UNDER-X can transport loads of up to 1,500 kg using interchangeable platforms, conveyors and other attachments.
Its LiDAR-based navigation eliminates the need for magnetic strips or reflectors, illustrating the industry’s continuing move toward more adaptable automation.
Lifter Mobile Robotics presented its X-ACT range of autonomous pallet-handling vehicles, while VHIT Robotics demonstrated cleaning robots, autonomous stackers and pallet trucks.
VHIT also explored potential applications for humanoid robots in repetitive industrial tasks, including depalletizing, machine loading and component sorting.
Integration becomes a central concern
One of the clearest themes emerging from the exhibition was that successful automation depends as much on integration as on the robots themselves.
LCS Group reported growing demand for AGVs, particularly among manufacturers seeking to automate existing facilities without extensive structural modifications.
Its fleet management software supports the VDA 5050 standard, allowing compatible vehicles from different manufacturers to operate within a common management environment.
Sigma Motion similarly emphasized the importance of adapting autonomous vehicles to existing factory conditions, including non-standard pallets, restricted spaces and established production workflows.
The wider supporting infrastructure also featured prominently. Bolzoni demonstrated forklift attachments designed for automated applications, EKT Europe presented lithium-ion battery technologies, and Anco Pavimenti highlighted the importance of industrial flooring for reliable vehicle operation.
Conference sessions addressed cybersecurity, regulatory requirements, warehouse automation and return on investment, reinforcing the message that introducing mobile robots involves operational and organizational considerations beyond purchasing equipment.
Looking ahead to AGV Expo 2027
Following its inaugural edition, AGV Expo will return from October 7 to 9, 2027, at the exhibition center in Parma, Italy.
The second edition will run alongside the 11th GIS Expo, an established exhibition covering lifting equipment, industrial and port handling, and heavy transport.
The move to Parma will provide a larger venue and bring autonomous logistics technologies into closer contact with related industrial sectors.
Organizers say exhibition space already booked for GIS Expo 2027 exceeds the corresponding level for the 2025 event, with more than 20,000 visitors expected across the wider exhibition.
Fabio Potestà, director of Mediapoint & Exhibitions, said: “We are grateful to everyone who put their trust in the first edition of AGV Expo. We want to build on this start and develop the exhibition into an unmissable meeting place for the automated factory, warehousing, and logistics sectors.”
For AGV Expo, the challenge now is to build on a promising first edition and establish itself as a regular meeting point for Europe’s expanding mobile robotics and automated logistics industries.
