Navalia closes its most successful edition yet and announces Valencia as the host city for the 2027 Meeting
The trade fair has surpassed 22,000 professional visitors and now is focusing on the business meeting that will bring together the shipbuilding sector in September next year.
Navalia closed its tenth edition this Thursday, confirming the best figures in its history and definitively consolidating its position as the leading naval trade fair in Spain and one of the most important in Europe. The organizers took advantage of the closing ceremony to announce the next location for Navalia Meeting, the business event held in odd-numbered years, will take place in Valencia, presumably in the third week of September 2027.
During his speech, Navalia President José García Costas highlighted the 2026 edition has been “a turning point” for the fair, both in terms of the figures achieved and the volume of business and international contacts generated during the three days of activity.
“Navalia 2026 has been the best edition in our history,” stated García Costas, who confirmed the fair attracted over 22,000 professional visitors and registered its highest level of business participation since its inception, with 602 exhibitors.
The president of Navalia emphasized, in particular, the widespread satisfaction expressed by exhibitors regarding international visitors’ growth and the quality of the meetings held during the fair. In this regard, he explained that, although confidentiality does not yet allow for public disclosure, “we are aware of contracts linked to shipyards present at the fair” that are expected to materialize in the coming months. He also highlighted that companies in the Spanish naval supply industry have reached commercial agreements with international shipyards, some of which were present at Navalia for the first time, thus reinforcing the fair's role as a business and internationalization tool.
The strength of Navalia was also reflected in the exhibitors' positive response regarding future plans. According to García Costas, the organization already has a waiting list of major companies interested in expanding their space for the 2028 edition, while numerous professional visitors have expressed their intention to take part as exhibitors. Furthermore, 70% of the companies participating in this edition have reserved their space for the eleventh event, a figure he considers "the best possible sign of confidence in the project."
Ferrol and Valencia
After reviewing the fair, director Javier Arnau, announced that Valencia will host Navalia Meeting 2027, the business event held in odd-numbered years with a format more focused on networking, technical sessions, and sector analysis.
Mr Arnau noted that, prior to this event, Navalia Summit will be held in the first half of 2027, a specific meeting in Ferrol focused on the defense industry. Subsequently, in September, Valencia will take over as the Meeting's host city.
The director of Navalia explained the choice of location reflects the strategic importance of the Valencian maritime ecosystem, where major shipping companies, auxiliary industries, port activity, and companies linked to maritime transport and logistics converge. He also highlighted the special support of the College of Naval Engineers in collaborating with the technical organization of the event.
“The objective remains the same: to bring together the leading companies in the national and international shipbuilding industry for three days to share knowledge, generate business, and gain firsthand knowledge of the industrial and maritime reality of a strategic area of Spain like Valencia,” he stated.
With the conclusion of this tenth edition, Navalia ends its most ambitious event to date and is already beginning work on the next projects for a brand that, twenty years after its inception, continues to strengthen its international presence and its role as a strategic platform for the shipbuilding industry.