Vision Closes with a Record Number of Exhibitors
More than 9,000 trade visitors attended the trade show. New formats highlighted AI, startups, and specific applications of image processing.
Vision 2026 concluded with a new record for exhibitors. From October 6 to 8, 494 companies showcased their products at the trade show in Stuttgart. That was two percent more than at the 2024 edition. According to Messe Stuttgart, the occupied exhibition space grew by five percent.
The event also saw an increase in visitor numbers. More than 9,000 trade visitors attended the 32nd edition of the image processing trade show—a 14 percent increase over 2024. International visitors accounted for 46 percent, with attendees representing a total of 59 countries. On the exhibitor side, 66 percent of the companies came from abroad, and more than 30 percent were exhibiting at Vision for the first time.
In addition to the exhibition, this year’s trade show placed greater emphasis on new event formats. The Vision Makeathon made its debut, during which interdisciplinary teams developed solutions for challenges in the fields of the circular economy and smart farming within a single day of the trade show.
Also new were the VDMA AI Guided Tours. These tours took visitors to specific applications of artificial intelligence in image processing and production processes. Other guided tours focused on applications in the automotive and battery manufacturing sectors, aerospace and defense, as well as the electronics and semiconductor industries.
Photonicsens Wins Vision Award
In the Vision Award, which came with a prize of 3,000 euros, Photonicsens prevailed over AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Lidwave, Medabsy, and Singular Photonics. The award recognizes technological developments in the field of industrial image processing.
Startups also had their own presentation areas at the trade show. A total of 31 young companies exhibited in the Vision Start-up World and at the Young Innovators joint booth, supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics. Eyeo was named “Vision Start-up 2026.” The “Vision Start-up of the Day” awards went to Phaseform, Eyeo Imaging, and Tihive.
Held concurrently with Vision were Motek and Bondexpo, the EFX – Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, and Quantum Effects. With a single ticket, visitors could attend all five events. According to Messe Stuttgart, this combination is set to continue in the future.
With increased exhibitor and visitor numbers, the event’s recovery from the past few years continues. At the same time, sessions on AI, startups, and new applications highlighted the topics currently of particular interest to the machine vision industry.
