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Which one to pick
The difference is who you will meet
Both shows cover life sciences, but the audiences differ. BioSpain mainly draws biotechs, research centres, investors and the companies that serve them, and one-to-one meetings are at its core. Farmaforum, according to its organiser, draws professionals from the pharmaceutical, biotech, veterinary, cosmetics and laboratory technology industries.
For a bioprocess equipment maker, the question is where the customer is. A biotech scaling a process towards the clinic is still choosing platforms and partners. A plant already in production wants to improve lines, cleanrooms or its lab. Both may matter to you, but they need different messages and materials.
What BioSpain is and how recent editions went
AseBio has organised BioSpain since 2003 and describes it as the leading biotech event in Spain. The 2025 edition took place at Fira de Barcelona with Biocat and brought together more than 2,400 attendees from 1,065 organisations in 34 countries, 140 investors, 250 exhibitors and 4,500 meetings.
The 2026 edition was held in Bilbao from 29 September to 1 October and, according to AseBio, drew more than 1,900 professionals from 900 organisations and nearly 4,000 one-to-one meetings. The 2027 edition returns to Barcelona, from 28 to 30 September 2027.
When is BioSpain 2027?
According to AseBio, BioSpain 2027 will be held in Barcelona from 28 to 30 September 2027, after the 2026 edition in Bilbao. AseBio says more information about this edition will be published soon. Check its page before booking travel or committing budget, as details can still change.
What Farmaforum is and who you will meet
Farmaforum is the forum for the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and laboratory technology industries, with dedicated areas for biotech and cosmetics too. It combines an exhibition, congresses, workshops and networking areas, with tracks such as Biotechforum, Labforum for lab instruments and equipment, and a pharma engineering forum covering process equipment, scale-up, cleanrooms and automation.
The 2026 edition, its twelfth, ran on 22 and 23 September in Hall 10 at IFEMA Madrid and, according to the organiser, drew more than 9,500 professionals. The next one is on 22 and 23 September 2027, again at IFEMA Madrid. During the year the organiser also runs technical days in other cities.
When is Farmaforum 2027?
According to Farmaforum's official website, the 2027 edition runs on 22 and 23 September at IFEMA Madrid. The organiser has already started planning it and says it wants to add new specialist congresses. If you want to exhibit, ask for terms early and book your space in good time.
Torn between BioSpain and Farmaforum? Leave your details and we will tell you which one matches the customers you are after and what we would prepare first.
Help me chooseBioSpain and Farmaforum, criterion by criterion
The table sums up what to check before booking. The figures above are the ones each organiser publishes for its latest edition with data, and they are not directly comparable, because one show counts attendees and meetings while the other counts visiting professionals.
| Criterion | BioSpain | Farmaforum |
|---|---|---|
| Organiser | AseBio | Exposiciones y Eventos |
| Main audience | Biotechs, investors, research and service providers | Pharma production, lab, engineering and QA |
| Core format | One-to-one partnering meetings | Exhibition with congresses and workshops |
| Latest edition | Bilbao, 29 September to 1 October 2026 | IFEMA Madrid, 22 and 23 September 2026 |
| Next edition | Barcelona, 28 to 30 September 2027 | IFEMA Madrid, 22 and 23 September 2027 |
| Good fit for | CDMOs, CROs, startups and R&D or scale-up equipment | Process and lab equipment, engineering firms and distributors |
Do we need a booth, or are meetings enough?
It depends on what you sell. At BioSpain the main value lies in one-to-one meetings with biotechs and investors, and a booth makes sense if you need to show product or build your brand. At Farmaforum, where visitors walk the exhibition looking for suppliers, a booth with equipment or a demo carries more weight.
Where Biocat fits if you are a Catalan company
Biocat, the organisation that drives the BioRegion of Catalonia, plays a clear role here. It co-organised the 2025 edition in Barcelona, which drew 750 registrants from more than 300 Catalan companies, and for the Bilbao edition it offered BioRegion companies a 10 percent discount.
If you are a Catalan company, follow Biocat's events calendar, which lists BioSpain and other sector meetings, and get ready for 2027, when the show comes home. Farmaforum, by contrast, takes place at IFEMA Madrid, so build the trip into your budget.
Can we attend both?
Yes, and for many equipment makers it makes sense, because they reach different audiences. In 2026 they were held a week apart and in 2027 they fall in consecutive weeks again, so build one kit of materials and adapt the message. At BioSpain, talk about scale-up and development partners. At Farmaforum, talk about production, quality and service.
How to get the most out of either show
At both shows, what happens beforehand counts as much as the booth. Book meetings early through the partnering platform or by direct contact, set up a show page on your website with data sheets in English and Spanish, and decide who follows up each contact and how quickly.
David Monje, founder of crida studio, led marketing at TECNIC Bioprocess Solutions for four and a half years, and international trade shows were his test bench there. That is why at crida studio we prepare every show like a campaign, with goals, a target account list and follow-up.
