Maker Faire Rome 2026 Brings Humanoid Football And 400+ Exhibits to Rome

Visitors gather at the historic Gazometro Ostiense in Rome during the Maker Faire Rome , an annual innovation and technology event that draws creators, inventors, and tech enthusiasts from across Europe.

More than 400 exhibits, humanoid robotics, AI, advanced craft, food research and hands-on learning come to Rome from 23 to 25 October.

ROME, LAZIO , ITALY, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Rome, 30 September 2026 – More than 400 exhibition stands will fill Rome’s Gazometro Ostiense from 23 to 25 October as Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition returns for its 14th edition.

Promoted and organised by the Rome Chamber of Commerce, the event brings together makers, companies, start-ups, researchers, universities and schools. This year, 26 secondary schools and 27 universities and research centres are taking part, with 145 projects between them.

The programme spans robotics, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing, circular economy, agrifood, aerospace, design and education. Visitors can test technologies, see working prototypes, join workshops and speak directly with the people behind the projects.

Humanoid Robots Take to the Pitch

Italy will host its first International Italian Open RoboCup Humanoid Soccer tournament at Maker Faire Rome 2026.

University and research teams will compete with five humanoid robots on each side. Once a match begins, the machines play autonomously, reading the pitch and making their own decisions without human control.

Among the teams is SPQR from Sapienza University of Rome, which reached the final of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing in August and was the only non-Chinese team still competing during the final three days.

Robotics continues off the pitch with I-RIM 3D 2026, the eighth conference organised by the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines. Its new I-RIM 3D DEMO programme will bring research systems directly in front of the public, while RoboPitch will give selected start-ups and research groups the chance to present robotics proof-of-concept projects to investors, universities and compa

Italian Craft Meets Advanced Technology

AvantCraft, new for 2026, looks at how Italian craftsmanship is changing as digital fabrication, robotics and AI enter workshops and production.

Curated by Stefano Micelli of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and organised by Upskill 4.0, the exhibition brings together high-performance cars, titanium bicycles, 3D-printed ceramics, hand-set titanium jewellery, large-scale embroidery and materials made from waste.

Among the exhibits is the Dallara Stradale, produced in an environment where advanced composite engineering still sits alongside manual assembly and specialist technical knowledge.

From Wearable Airbags to Food in Space

Inail and the Italian Institute of Technology will present workplace-safety research including wearable devices, robotics and training systems.

The SIDE haptic exoskeleton, developed by Inail and Sapienza University of Rome, recreates forces and physical interactions in virtual or augmented environments, allowing workers to train for hazardous situations without being exposed to the real risk.

IIT and Inail will also show XoTrunk and FleXoTrunk, wearable prototypes designed to support the lower back during manual handling, alongside a wearable airbag system that can detect a fall and deploy within milliseconds.

Agrifood research brings together CREA, ENEA, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, Value Groovers and the CMCC Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change.

CREA will present work on food design, micromalting and 3D food printing. ENEA will explore food production in extreme environments, including technologies relevant to agriculture in space, cellular agriculture and plant biotechnology.

CNR’s FoodEye uses spectroscopy to analyse nutritional characteristics, geographical origin and possible contamination or counterfeiting.

Terravionics combines IoT, Earth observation data and algorithmic analysis to support proactive tree management, while Yeastime applies ultrasound technology to fermentation with the aim of reducing process times and energy use.

A DeLorean, a Driverless Racing Car and Cacio e Pepe

A DeLorean DMC-12, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and made famous by *Back to the Future*, will arrive from the Enter Technikwelt Solothurn museum in Switzerland.

Sapienza Corse will bring Gajarda AWD Hybrid Driverless, a Formula Student racing car that can recognise the course and drive without anyone at the wheel.

A 17-year-old Italian maker will present a neural headset that turns body signals into commands, together with a 3D-printed bionic hand controlled through computer vision or electromyographic signals.

Robby Minichef takes robotics into the kitchen. The prototype learns from a chef and can reproduce the actions and timings needed to prepare dishes including spaghetti cacio e pepe.

Books@MFR26 adds a new strand devoted to science, technology and social change. Visitors will be invited to bring a favourite book on science, innovation or technology and explain in two minutes why somebody else should read it. Copies left at the event will become part of a shared BiblioMaker collection.

The Educational and Gaming area will include coding, Minecraft Education, robot battles, circuit printing, augmented reality, driving simulation, space-related activities and live chemistry demonstrations.

Eni returns as Main Partner for the thirteenth consecutive year.

In the year marking the centenary of Agip, it will present Pioneers to Makers, an interactive space using installations, games, projections and virtual reality, alongside the Eni2050 Lab, which presents research ranging from biofuels and CO₂ capture and storage to renewable energy and energy storage.

Regione Lazio, Lazio Innova, Roma Capitale and the Italian Trade Agency will also take part, with programmes supporting start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, emerging technologies and international participation.

Practical Information

Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition takes place from 23 to 25 October 2026 at Gazometro Ostiense, Rome, with additional activities at the Istituto Superiore Antincendi.

Tickets are available exclusively online at makerfairerome.eu.

Maker Faire Rome is promoted and organised by the Rome Chamber of Commerce through its special agency Innova Camera. The event is produced with the collaboration and support of Regione Lazio and Lazio Innova.

Eni is Main Partner. Arduino, DigiKey, MAIRE, STMicroelectronics and Unidata are Gold Partners.

Maker Faire Rome - The European Edition
Make Faire Rome
press@makerfairerome.eu
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