“We want visitors to have a broad view of what AI can help them with their processes and how it can help them.”
As president of Expofluidos, Xavier Miquel plays a leading role in the organization of this international trade show dedicated to fluid processing technology. In recent months, Miquel has been closely involved in planning the next edition of the event. He combines this work with his role as sales manager at Iberfluid Instrument, a company specializing in instrumentation and control of industrial processes, as well as in the full implementation of projects.
Miquel’s career, both at Iberfluid and at Expofluidos, demonstrates his commitment to the promotion and development of advanced technologies in the field of fluid processing, a commitment that significantly contributes to the advancement of the industry. Specifically, Miquel, as president of the event, has set as his main objective that the show provide answers and solutions to all those companies and technicians who attend with specific needs. In February 2026, we will know if this objective has been met. Meanwhile, we preview some of the key points and highlights of the Expofluidos 2026 trade show.
Expofluidos has established itself as a benchmark event in the sector. The upcoming edition will be the third held in conjunction with Exposolidos and Polusólidos. How important is the trade show for the fluid processing industry?
This third edition represents the full consolidation of Expofluidos as the leading event showcasing various solutions for fluid media and control. Furthermore, the fact that it is held in conjunction with Exposolidos and Polusólidos provides visitors with the widest range of solutions for the industrial sectors we are focusing on. Our potential visitors are unlikely to fit exclusively into a single event; rather, they face technical challenges that encompass several disciplines encompassed by more than one of these events. It is essential, and this is one of the details we value, to be able to share with specialist technicians the challenges our visitors face in their facilities and to obtain support based on extensive experience with clients with similar characteristics.
What are your expectations for the 2026 edition?
The extraordinary reception Expofluidos received in its early days makes us very positive about the development and growth of our fair. It’s clear that launching our journey alongside a benchmark event like Exposolidos helped us consolidate our offering more quickly. We are convinced that the 2026 edition will be the moment when many attendees will turn to Expofluidos, already a benchmark fair, to share their experiences and seek out interlocutors in the fluid management sector. We have decided to incorporate some changes in the design and execution of our fair to increase and enhance the exchange of technological knowledge. Currently, there are many digital channels that provide a vast amount of information, but the ability to discuss and share details in person and in person is, and continues to be, a determining value.
Last year, the show dedicated a special section to hydrogen generation as an alternative energy source. This time, what major new features would you highlight in terms of content or format for the next edition?
For this edition, we’ve decided to focus on AI and how it’s beginning to influence our professional activity. Our intention is to focus our activities on this concept, which is becoming part of our lives in virtually every way. We want visitors to have a broad view of what AI can help them with and how it can help them in their processes. This is a difficult task to narrow down given our limited experience, but at the same time, it’s a tool with extremely broad possibilities. We’re aware that the activities won’t provide definitive solutions, as we’re still in an early stage, but we’re confident that they will open up a debate that will surely be enriching. I believe the industry’s perspectives are still very different regarding the level of utility that AI can provide, and I am convinced that this forum will be a great opportunity to share all these ideas to advance along a path that I believe is already unstoppable.
What will professionals find at the fair that they can’t find elsewhere?
Our fair was created with the main objective of focusing our activities exclusively on industry professionals. Our goal is for Expofluidos to be essentially an environment with a marked technical focus, and that is why our objective is to connect all those professionals who dedicate a large part, or all, of their activity to fluid management, whether in the liquid or gaseous phase. All those companies and technicians with specific needs can find the right solution to their needs through professionals with extensive experience in the sector.
Give us three reasons why industry professionals shouldn’t miss the next edition of Expofluidos.
On the one hand, the opportunity to learn firsthand about the new solutions that industry manufacturers are making available to their customers. We are aware that “information” is currently becoming increasingly available due to the internet and technical social media. However, we continue to believe that personal conversation and the description provided by a specialized technician are still essential.
A second reason is, without a doubt, the opportunity to share with other users the experiences each professional gains in their daily work. Our vision is that of technicians who carry out their work individually and who, in many cases, evolve thanks to their experience. Therefore, we believe that sharing this experience allows them to enrich their knowledge, sharing and, at the same time, learning from what other professionals in similar processes have achieved.
A final reason, and one that is also a hallmark of our fair, is to see the equipment and installations our exhibitors offer on-site. We firmly believe in the success of showing real equipment and machinery so that our clients not only trust our word, but can also see the solutions being proposed.
The interests of exhibitors and visitors may differ. What would you say are the main objectives of each when participating in Expofluidos?
For visitors, I believe the opportunity to learn about the solutions offered by specialists in the different areas encompassing their production and management activities at a single event is a determining factor that considerably optimizes the time they would have to invest if attending individually. I think we are all aware that the availability of technical staff is increasingly limited, so encompassing the different disciplines that may interest them—plant and process design, measurement and control instruments, protection and safety systems, among others—in a single day allows them to gather a wealth of information that would otherwise require the investment of considerable hours and days.
For exhibitors, the event allows us to showcase the capabilities and innovations of the solutions we offer to visitors, that is, to our existing clients and, especially, to potential ones. In a relaxed yet highly technical environment, Expofluidos allows us to reach a larger audience, while also showcasing solutions and equipment that are often difficult or practically impossible to transport in a typical commercial setting. Being able to showcase the capabilities of our offerings directly on the equipment is always a more illuminating solution and allows visitors to better understand the benefits they will receive.
The Organizing Committee plays a key role in the development of the fair. How does it contribute to ensuring the event’s success? In other words, what are its main functions?
The Committee’s fundamental objective is to ensure that the event meets the expectations of both visitors and exhibitors. Our functions are diverse, but always focused on this maxim: the exhibitor must have all the resources to convey all of its capabilities and strengths to visitors, while visitors must be able to obtain all the information they require or that may be of interest to them.
Although the commercial objective is fundamental, we do not ignore the technical interests and current events that surround our activity. That’s why we not only ensure that the fair is properly organized, but we also try to include educational and educational activities that provide the most satisfying overall experience possible.
As I hinted earlier, artificial intelligence is transforming multiple industries. How do you think it affects and will affect the fluids sector in the coming years? Are we facing a technological revolution in this area?
Indeed, the technological revolution associated with AI is already present in different areas of our lives, and there’s no doubt that it is in the industrial sectors, especially in fluid management. The knowledge transfer enabled by AI must result in process improvements, not only at the purely productive level, but also in other related areas such as asset management, preventive maintenance, etc. Industrial growth has always involved the implementation of improvements that not only increase productivity but also reduce energy costs, increase the safety of operators and equipment, and minimize environmental impact. All of these objectives involve having more information about our production processes, in order to manage and process them more efficiently. AI will be a key factor in exponentially increasing these activities.
Taking stock, what has 2024 been like for the sector? What have been the main challenges and opportunities?
It is clear that the sector is very broad in terms of activity and markets, but the general view is that we have managed to achieve, in most cases, the set objectives. Many sectors have shown a certain upward trend, a detail that has allowed us to maintain an economic and industrial activity that we can classify as acceptable. Industrial globalization, which I believe we can say has already taken place, opens up opportunities and at the same time challenges for our industrial sectors. In 2024, we have seen how the arrival of solutions from other regions has impacted our industrial and productive fabric. The automotive sector and its energy alternatives, for example, are very important, at very different levels, in our activity. Facing this competitive challenge must be a determining factor in the coming years to ensure and maintain our activity.
And looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, what are your expectations for the sector? Are significant market changes or emerging trends expected to be taken into account?
The energy and environmental areas appear to be key drivers for our short-term future and can clearly determine the direction in which a portion of our investments will be directed. There is no doubt that there is a clear objective to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but, on the other hand, dependence on hydrocarbons at all levels is impossible to achieve. The areas that appear to be important in generating and dynamizing the industrial sector in 2025 are, among others, those associated with so-called “green energies.” Not only because of their ability to generate more sustainable energy, but also because of their ability to reduce the carbon footprint. Investments in this direction are on the horizon that will surely keep many industrial sectors active throughout 2025, in which we are already immersed.
