Where tradition meets innovation and national meets international: artisan bakery is one of the focus topics at iba in October 2023. The highlights include the exhibitors' product presentations and novelties, the action areas in halls A3 and A4 as well as suitable lectures in the iba.SPEAKERS AREA and the iba.FORUM. At the "German Championships of Master Bakers" or "The iba.UIBC.CUP of Bakers and Confectioners,", the participants in the competitions showcase masterly craftsmanship live at the leading trade fair.
 
In addition to networking and exchange, there are four main focus topics that form the pillars of the event: artisan bakery, digitalisation, food trends and sustainability. The focus topic artisan bakery will be examined in more detail below. Participants can discover all information on products, exhibitors, events at the stand, novelties and programme items relating to the focus topic in the iba.UNIVERSE at: universe.iba-tradefair.com/en. 

A look into halls A3 and A4: robotics, AI, chocolate & startups

The two artisan bakery halls A3 and A4, right next to each other, is where exhibitors will be presenting a variety of products. Wolf ButterBack (hall A3, stand 371), for example, will be exhibiting croissant varieties and Danish pastries as well as innovative snack ideas and inviting visitors to taste them. Delta Bäckerei-Maschinen Wilhelm Hölscher will have its new Deltamatic water mixing and dosing equipment on show at stand 521 in hall A3. BÄKO (hall A3, stand 350) will be presenting a mixture of digital and AI-supported products for optimising operational processes as well as new technology and equipment. The Boyens Backservice stand in hall A3, stand 110, will also be focusing on digitalisation in artisan bakery: "Colleague Robot" can be seen live in action and will demonstrate how it performs repetitive routines like embellishing pastries with jelly or jam.

Hall A4 is all about chocolate: Jacobi Decor (hall A4, stand 426) will be offering a whole range for confectionery and bakery products, from couverture made of Carma chocolate to fondant and decorative items. A special process for cutting and forming dough pieces called "PANEOTRAD" will be shown by the French manufacturer Bongard (hall A4, stand 110). A few steps away is the new iba.START UP AREA supported by Puratos, where national and international startups will be presenting the latest innovations across all sectors. Some startups also offer ideas and solutions specifically for the artisan bakery. The Baguette Academy, for example, will be introducing its repertoire of specialist courses: from pain au chocolat to brioche and French baguette, interested parties can book their course and carry it out online with the trainers. Print4Taste will be showing a new 3D food printer for professionals using a plug & play solution. Reach new customers digitally via app and website and set up an online shop; this is the idea the startup Bakeronline will be presenting.