INOTEX 2026 Transforms: From Exhibition-Centric to an Audience-Focused Innovation Festival

INOTEX 2026 is no longer just a technology exhibition. By shifting its focus from "exhibition-centric" to "audience-centric," completely redesigning its structure, and transforming into an innovation festival, it aims to broaden the country's technology ecosystem more than ever before. In the press conference for this edition, the President of Pardis Technology Park, the VP for Innovation Development, and the Executive Secretary of INOTEX discussed a transformation set to change Iran's largest innovation event.

Mehdi Safarinia, President of Pardis Technology Park, described INOTEX as the "comprehensive showcase of the park's national and international activities" during the INOTEX 2026 press conference, highlighting the park's position as the country's largest and oldest technology park.

Reviewing INOTEX's 14-year journey from 2011 to the present, he stated that the event has been a "child of its time" in each edition; evolving from a technology transfer exhibition to a technology exchange platform, and then becoming the largest gathering of the country's innovation ecosystem.

However, according to him, the time has come for a new step: experiencing a fourth model – the festivalization of INOTEX.

Safarinia emphasized that rapid technological advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and nanotechnology necessitate that the innovation ecosystem transcends the limited circle of specialized activists and encompasses traditional industries, the service sector, policymakers, and even the general public.

He stated clearly: "We want to shine a light on the ecosystem and invite all those who have been on the sidelines to come to the center."

A Strategic Pivot; Who is INOTEX For?

Subsequently, Mojtaba Jabbari pour, VP for Innovation Development at Pardis Technology Park, raised a key question that served as the starting point for this edition's transformation: Who is INOTEX for?

According to him, in previous editions, the main focus was on technology suppliers, with others primarily defined as visitors. However, in INOTEX 2026, this perspective has been reversed, and the "audience" has become the center of design.

To realize this change, a comprehensive study was conducted with the participation of ecosystem activists. Exhibitors were asked about their needs and challenges, visitors about their motivation for attending, and even those who did not participate about their reasons for absence.

The outcome of this research was the formulation of specific value propositions for two main groups: visitors and exhibitors.

Four Key Experiences for Visitors

According to Jabbari pour, visitors to INOTEX 2026 will experience four core values: extensive networking, a different and inspiring experience, direct access to job opportunities, investors, industries, and regulators, and up-to-date learning through workshops, panels, and national and international speakers.

He emphasized that if the event does not create value for the audience, no other goal will be achieved.

Four Strategic Advantages for Exhibitors

Four key advantages have also been defined for exhibitors: attracting capital and financing, enhancing brand and credibility, market development and targeted marketing, and visibility in the media.

According to the organizers, INOTEX is set to become the "marketing and investment hub" for tech companies.

New Architecture; The End of Dispersed Booths

Sajjad Rajabi, Executive Secretary of INOTEX 2026, announced a complete redesign of the exhibition structure during the operational part of the meeting.

In this edition, exhibitors are categorized into eight main groups, including startups, knowledge-based companies, investors, industries, media, and the international sector. Visitors are also organized into six specific groups.

The new layout ensures each group is located in its specialized zone. According to Rajabi, this makes targeted searching easier for visitors and enables more precise connections between exhibitors and their intended audience.

Media Presence at the INOTEX Exhibition

In another part of his remarks, Rajabi referred to the planning for media presence at INOTEX, stating that at the INOTEX 2026 exhibition, media outlets can participate both as exhibitors in a dedicated media hall and as sponsors. This collaboration can be facilitated through barter agreements involving media services.

Networking Hubs and Interactive Spaces

One of the most appealing changes in this edition is the creation of "networking hubs" within the exhibition halls; spaces for face-to-face conversations between startups, investors, industries, and other actors.

Interactive cafes, informal seating areas, and dialogue environments have also been added to the new architecture to ensure interactions are not limited solely to booth visits.

The organizers emphasized that this transformation is not confined to the four days of the event. Startup competitions have been underway for months in various provinces, and the connection with investors and industries has become an ongoing process.

In Jabbari pour's words, "INOTEX is no longer just an annual meeting; it is an ever-active network of innovation ecosystem players."

Event Details

The 15th edition of INOTEX will be held from May 20 to 23, 2026. Company registration continues until March 20, 2026. Additionally, knowledge-based companies, in coordination with the Iran National Innovation Fund (INIF), will receive 70% support for their participation in the event.

According to this report, INOTEX 2026 is not merely intended to repeat past successes; it aims to be a more mature, smarter, and more inclusive version of the country's largest innovation event.

A festival where experts, industrialists, investors, students, and even families can share in a common experience of the future of technology – an experience that may chart a new path for the development of Iran's knowledge-based economy.