CPHI is expanding its European event portfolio in 2027, adding a new country-focused pharmaceutical exhibition in Spain while expanding its flagship Frankfurt event into several adjacent areas of the life sciences market. The changes will see the launch of CPHI Spain in Barcelona in June, followed by the introduction of three new specialist exhibitor zones at CPHI Frankfurt in November. The Frankfurt areas will focus on nutraceuticals, laboratory and analytical equipment, and cosmeceuticals. Together, the initiatives reflect the increasingly broad ecosystem surrounding pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, from drug substances and contract manufacturing to laboratory technologies, medical nutrition and clinically supported skincare. They also point to a strategy of creating more targeted meeting points within the broader CPHI network, giving specialist suppliers access to relevant buyers while providing pharmaceutical companies with more focused opportunities to identify technologies and partners.

The first CPHI Spain will be held June 1-2, 2027, at Montjuïc in Barcelona. Organizers expect more than 2,500 pharmaceutical professionals and over 130 exhibitors to attend the inaugural two-day event. The exhibition will cover major segments of the pharmaceutical supply chain, including contract manufacturing, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), finished dosage forms, machinery and packaging. CPHI is positioning the event as a bridge between Spain’s domestic pharmaceutical industry and international companies seeking to enter the market or develop new commercial and manufacturing relationships.

Spain has become an increasingly important European pharmaceutical market, with its sector estimated at approximately $42 billion and projected to reach around $68 billion by 2033. The country is home to approximately 1,600 pharmaceutical companies and has established capabilities across manufacturing, R&D and life sciences.

“Spain has developed a substantial and increasingly diverse pharmaceutical ecosystem, with strengths ranging from manufacturing and APIs to biopharma, clinical research and advanced therapies,” says Orhan Caglayan, Executive Vice President of the pharma portfolio at Informa Markets.

The event is intended to serve both sides of the market. Spanish manufacturers and suppliers will have a platform to present their capabilities to international buyers, while companies from outside the country will be able to identify potential customers, suppliers and strategic partners within Spain.

CPHI is also targeting smaller and specialist companies with a more focused event format. Turnkey packages and simplified logistics are intended to provide an alternative entry point for companies that may find larger international exhibitions more difficult to navigate. The conference program will address topics relevant to the Spanish pharmaceutical sector, including regulation, R&D, generics and biosimilars, APIs, biopharmaceuticals and developments in manufacturing and innovation.

CPHI’s expansion will continue later in the year at CPHI Frankfurt, where three new exhibitor zones will be introduced for the 2027 edition. The new areas are designed to give specialist companies a dedicated environment while helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology decision-makers find suppliers and technologies in increasingly important areas of the industry. The three zones will focus on nutraceuticals, laboratory and analytical equipment, and cosmeceuticals.

“Pharma continues to evolve into new and adjacent areas, creating opportunities for companies with highly specialized products and expertise to play a bigger role within the pharmaceutical ecosystem,” says Tara Dougal, event director for CPHI Frankfurt. She says the new areas reflect increasing demand for pharma-grade nutrition, efficacy-focused skincare and the laboratory technologies supporting drug R&D, manufacturing and quality.

The new Nutraceuticals zone will target finished-form nutraceutical manufacturers and suppliers operating to pharmaceutical-grade standards. The sector has increasingly moved into areas that overlap with pharmaceutical and clinical interests, including metabolic health and weight management, brain health, sports nutrition, immune health and preventative care.

Personalized nutrition is another area attracting growing attention as companies develop products aimed at increasingly specific health needs. CPHI expects the new zone to connect nutraceutical companies with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and clinical decision-makers looking for medical nutrition and pharma-grade supplements.

The development comes as the distinction between pharmaceuticals, supplements and medical nutrition becomes less straightforward in several areas of healthcare. For suppliers, a dedicated space within a pharmaceutical event could provide access to buyers who might otherwise be difficult to reach through traditional consumer-health channels.

The Laboratory & Analytical Equipment zone will focus on technologies used throughout pharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing, quality control and regulatory activities. Laboratory operations are undergoing significant changes as companies adopt automation and AI-based tools while facing increasingly demanding requirements around data integrity, traceability and regulatory compliance.

At the same time, advances in biologics and personalized medicines are increasing the need for more sophisticated analytical methods and higher-precision equipment. By creating a dedicated area within CPHI Frankfurt, organizers aim to bring laboratory and analytical technology providers into closer contact with the pharmaceutical companies that use their systems. The focus also reflects the growing importance of analytical capabilities as drug development becomes more complex. Modern manufacturing and quality programs increasingly depend on accurate characterization and real-time or near-real-time access to data.

CPHI Frankfurt will also pilot a new Cosmeceuticals zone, covering companies involved in ingredients, finished products, contract manufacturing and packaging. The initiative targets the expanding overlap between pharmaceutical science and skincare, including the development of clinically supported products and the broader growth of medical aesthetics and injectables.

Consumer interest has increasingly shifted toward skincare products positioned around measurable efficacy, active ingredients and scientific or clinical support. Areas such as skin longevity, preventative aging, barrier care and dermocosmetics distributed through pharmacies and clinical channels are also gaining attention. The new zone will give companies developing pharma-grade skincare and dermocosmetic products access to CPHI’s international pharmaceutical audience. For now, the cosmeceuticals area will operate as a pilot. Its performance at the 2027 event will help determine whether CPHI establishes a permanent dedicated zone in future editions.

The changes form part of a wider international strategy for the CPHI portfolio, which now includes 11 events spanning Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Rather than relying exclusively on large, broad-based pharmaceutical exhibitions, the latest additions create more specialized entry points into individual markets and sectors. For companies operating across the pharmaceutical supply chain, that could mean more opportunities to participate at a scale and level of specialization suited to their particular business.

The approach also reflects the changing boundaries of the pharmaceutical industry itself. Drug development and manufacturing increasingly intersect with fields such as advanced analytics, AI, nutrition, consumer health, medical aesthetics and personalized medicine.

Tara Dougal, CPHI Milan’s event director, says the company’s regional strategy is intended to address the importance of local relationships within an increasingly international industry. “Pharma is an international industry, but entering and growing within individual markets still depends on strong local knowledge and relationships.”

The two 2027 initiatives will serve different purposes within the CPHI portfolio. CPHI Spain will provide a dedicated market-entry and networking platform centered on one of Europe’s major pharmaceutical markets. Its emphasis will be on connecting domestic manufacturers and suppliers with international companies and buyers.

CPHI Frankfurt, meanwhile, will remain a broader international meeting point for the pharmaceutical supply chain while creating dedicated spaces for specialist areas that are becoming increasingly relevant to drug developers and manufacturers. CPHI Frankfurt 2027 will take place at Messe Frankfurt from November 9-11, 2027. The event will mark the 37th year of the CPHI Frankfurt exhibition. For more information, visit www.cphi.com.