Agrifood at Maker Faire Rome 2026: agritech and foodtech you can try
Innovation you can taste
From 23 to 25 October 2026, Maker Faire Rome brings the Agrifood area to Gazometro Ostiense in Rome: makers, startups, universities, research institutes and schools show how agritech and foodtech are changing the way we grow, produce and choose our food.
Many of the experiences are hands-on, and some you can even taste.
Precision farming: sensors, AI and biodiversity
IoT sensors, satellite data and artificial intelligence keep track of the health of trees, while low-cost radio networks bring monitoring inside beehives.
Sapienza University of Rome uses computer vision to spot bees hit by Varroa, the University of Florence presents an underground system for precision irrigation, and the University of Parma shows 3D-printed nests for ants that help plants.
At the fair you can simulate a crop-spraying treatment and see where the droplets really end up.
Food biotech: fermentation, microalgae and new proteins
Sapienza’s food microbiology lab selects microorganisms for food and drinks. ENEA leads tastings of alternative proteins and collects the public’s reactions.
The University of Siena studies a tardigrade protein that could protect crop pollen, while the CNR explores bio-robotics with tiny nematodes.
Among the makers: ultrasound that shortens beer fermentation, and microalgae used to obtain natural ingredients.
Foodtech: 3D printing and sensors that read your food
CREA brings food design, an all-in-one micro-malting unit and 3D printing of foods made from cereals and potatoes.
CNR-IFN analyses food with spectroscopy, Campus Bio-Medico University with a portable electrochemical sensor, and the University of Pisa uses artificial intelligence to recommend wine.
Plus devices that track dough rising from an app, and a robot that cooks a first course all on its own.
Growing food in the city and in space
ENEA shows indoor crops, hydroponics and biological pest control, designed with space missions in mind too.
The University of Catania designs hydroponic pots with computer-generated shapes, 3D printed; Sapienza measures urban micro-forests and proposes networks of micro-greenhouses to preserve seeds.
With the University of Siena’s Santa Chiara Lab you step into an interactive environment about wine, olive oil and cereals.
Agro Camera, research and schools
Agro Camera, the special agency of the Rome Chamber of Commerce, brings together startups, companies and institutions such as CREA, ENEA, CNR and CMCC, with a dedicated stage for talks on agrifood innovation.
High schools bring drones and digital twins for livestock farming, greenhouses that recognise diseased plants, and systems to observe bees without disturbing them.
