Enabling technologies

W3+ Fair is one of the leading cross-industry trade fairs for enabling technologies, bringing together experts and companies from optics, photonics, electronics and advanced manufacturing.

The Wetzlar region is one of the leading regions of the optics industry. It is home to more global market leaders than almost anywhere else, so the W3+ Fair is a good place to meet these global players face to face!

Learn, expand your network and experience two days of exhibitions on 18 and 19 March 2026. On both days of the fair, EIT Manufacturing will host a dedicated startup stage programme. On day one the session will take place between 13.30 and 14.00 and on day two between 13.15 and 13.45. Additionally, visitors have the opportunity to meet the startups during the Young Innovation Tour. The tour is taking place on 18 March at at 14.30 and on 19 March at 14.15 (meeting point: Foyer).

The startup sessions on stage showcase young innovations from the European manufacturing ecosystem. Immerse yourself in the world of tomorrow and discover smart solutions that make industry more competitive, agile and faster. Selected startups pitch their solutions live, offering insights into next-generation manufacturing technologies, smarter engineering processes and scalable industrial innovation. These are namely:

• Arctory with their AI-powered design and engineering automation tools that reduce time-to-market and enable smarter, data-driven product development.
• CORTEXIO with their AI-driven platform that helps manufacturing companies transform production processes by capturing real-time data via voice and digital workflows to boost efficiency, reduce documentation effort and improve quality and compliance.
• DENKweit with their AI-driven simulation and optimisation tools that help manufacturers accelerate development cycles and improve product performance.
• Folivora Solutions with their Domain Operating Systems that combine optimisation algorithms, forecasting, simulation and real-time data to enable the adaptive, continuous optimisation of complex industrial and energy systems.
• Pilotarc with their plug-and-play plasma cutting machines that make high-precision metal fabrication more accessible.
• plasmotion with their advanced plasma-based solutions that enable faster, cleaner and more efficient surface treatment for industrial manufacturing.
• Threedy with their digital manufacturing platform that connects engineering, production and supply chain data for seamless, scalable production workflows.