TIM ZIP EXPO 2026 once again turned Zagreb into a regional hub for the baking, pastry and confectionery industries. Held on April 22 and 23 at Arena Zagreb, the fair brought together leading European manufacturers of equipment and raw materials, Croatian and regional producers, the scientific community and Richemont master bakers from across Europe, confirming its role as a leading regional platform for knowledge, innovation and business exchange.

More than 60 exhibitors and organizations and 10 Richemont production teams from 18 European countries, together with numerous professionals and visitors from Croatia, the region, other European countries and Armenia, filled more than 5,000 square metres of exhibition space. The fair once again confirmed Zagreb as an important meeting point for the industry.

TIM ZIP organized the fair in partnership with the Polin Group and the main sponsor, the Ivan Bulić Foundation. Richemont Club Croatia, the Franjo Klarić Centre and the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology of the University of Zagreb greatly participated in the organization, highlighting the importance of cooperation between industry, education and the professional community.

Visitors could explore the latest ovens, production lines for bread, rolls, burek, doughnuts and laminated pastry, dough-processing systems, automation, packaging, vacuum cooling and digital production management. Leading European manufacturers included AGRIFLEX, ARTEZEN, BTF, BÜHLER, CETRAVAC, COPERION with BAKON, DIOSNA and VMI, DATA-BAK, DIAMANT, ELIN, FINES, GLAZIR, INNOVABACK, INSANE SOLUTIONS, JAC, KÖNIG MASCHINEN, KORNFEIL, MILLENNIUM, NAŠE KLASJE, PFM, POLIN GROUP with MIXER, TEKNOM, SOST and VIMEK, RONDO, TOMO VARGA, TRIMA and WIESHEU GROUP with WACHTEL and ATOLLSPEED. Croatian and regional exhibitors included BREAD CLUB, BIMBO ADRIA with DON DON, GROUP ČAKOVEČKI MLINOVI and its members ZAGREBAČKE PEKARNE KLARA, RADNIK OPATIJA and ČAKOVEČKI MLINOVI, as well as EKOS CAKES, JAMI, PEČJAK, PEKAR VINKOVCI and PRI SUNCU.

A highlight of the programme was live production in seven mini bakeries, where Richemont master bakers from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg,  Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland demonstrated the production of bread, rolls and pastries, showcasing modern techniques and the exchange of professional knowledge.

Education was another important part of the fair. In cooperation with the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology and the Franjo Klarić Centre, the scientific and professional symposium Modern Baking: A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation featured 14 presentations covering topics from food safety and fermentation to functional ingredients and innovative approaches to healthier bakery products.

Another highlight of the fair was the presentation of Snack Products – An Opportunity for Baking, the seventh edition of the TIM ZIP’s Bread for Life library. Featuring 240 recipes and an overview of trends, concepts and marketing solutions, the publication offers practical guidance for developing snack and food-to-go products.

The seventh Golden Hands awards recognized creativity, innovation and outstanding craftsmanship. Damir Kregar from Zagrebačke pekarne Klara won first place in the baking category for Problematic Barrel, while Olena Kapitova and Ruža Šimić from Ekos Cakes won the pastry category for Countess Marica.

Following the fair, Zagreb hosted a meeting of the presidents of the International and national Richemont Clubs, where future projects and activities were discussed and Greece was welcomed as the 16th full member of the international network. The participants also visited the Bread Club production facility to learn about its production organization and development projects.

TIM ZIP EXPO 2026 once again confirmed that it is more than a showcase for products and technologies: it is a central meeting point for industry, science and the professional community and an important indicator of the future development of baking, pastry and confectionery in this part of Europe.