Interpoma Tours 2026: Innovation in Action

Ten guided tours to explore applied research, processing technologies, sustainability and organic farming methods, production models and underground storage. Interpoma Tours 2026 have now been announced and will take place from 25 to 27 November during Interpoma (the international apple trade fair held at Fiera Bolzano). These tours will give participants the opportunity to experience first-hand some of the most advanced apple production practices in South Tyrol and Trentino.

Bolzano, 16 July 2026 – The Interpoma Tours programme (guided visits to apple-growing areas, research centres, farms and cooperatives organised as part of Interpoma 2026) is now available on the fair's website. The tours are organised by Fiera Bolzano in collaboration with the South Tyrol Advisory Centre for Fruit and Wine Growing and other local organisations for the 14th edition of Interpoma, the only international trade fair entirely dedicated to the apple industry.

The Tours programme includes ten visits spread over the three days of the event. To facilitate participation by an international audience, all tours will be conducted in English.

Each tour will allow participants (industry professionals and members of the press) to leave the exhibition halls and experience first-hand the practical application of the innovations transforming the apple value chain, from applied research to digitalisation, from processing and packaging technologies to storage, as well as sustainability practices, organic farming, water management and new cultivation systems.

Anna Crosignani, Brand Manager of Interpoma, explains:

"Interpoma Tours are one of the event's most valuable features because they allow participants to see first-hand what is really happening on farms, in research centres and in local cooperatives. It is precisely this dialogue between theory and practice, between showcased innovation and applied innovation, that makes Interpoma a unique event for the international apple-growing sector."

Tours 1 & 3 | The complete Melinda apple journey: from processing facilities to underground storage chambers

This tour, scheduled twice during the event, will take participants through the journey of the Melinda apple after harvest. The visit includes the processing and packaging facilities of one of the Consortium's cooperatives, a tasting of selected apple varieties, and access to the spectacular underground storage chambers inside the Rio Maggiore mine. Deep within the mountain, apples are stored in a unique underground environment, representing an innovative and sustainable approach to post-harvest quality management.

Tours 2 & 10 | Behind the scenes of technological innovation: applied research for the future of apples at NOI Techpark

Available at two different times, this tour will take participants to NOI Techpark in Bolzano, South Tyrol's innovation district, where research institutions, companies, start-ups and laboratories work together to develop practical solutions for agriculture and the agri-food sector. Following a brief introduction to the NOI ecosystem, participants will visit several strategic laboratories dedicated to the apple value chain, including the Fruit & Vegetable Processing Laboratory, the Laboratory for Flavours and Metabolites, the Sensing Technologies Lab and the Agroforestry Innovation Lab. It offers a unique opportunity to observe where ideas, scientific research and real-world applications come together.

Tour 4 | The future is now: high technology and new perspectives for apple growing

The first stop will be the integrated fruit farm of Manuel Telser in Kortsch (Corzes), Val Venosta, located between 800 and 1,000 metres above sea level. The 12-hectare orchard is currently managed by the family's fourth generation and grows varieties including Golden Delicious, Ambrosia, Pinova and SweeTango. The second stop will be GEOS, the fruit cooperative in Silandro, one of the seven cooperatives within the VIP Consortium and one of South Tyrol's most advanced fruit processing facilities. GEOS was the first cooperative in Val Venosta to introduce robotic apple packaging and has operated an automated high-bay warehouse since 2016.

Tour 5 | Don't panic... it's organic! Organic production and market strategies

This tour focuses on organic apple production, beginning at the organic fruit farm of Markus Ladurner in Lagundo, located on the Plars alluvial cone at an altitude of 500 metres. Managed according to organic farming principles for almost 30 years, the farm grows varieties including Gala, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Natyra, Topaz, Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp. The second stop will be the Biosüdtirol cooperative in Lana, founded in 1990 by six growers and now comprising more than 300 producers. Here, advanced technologies and software systems monitor every stage of production, from cultivation and harvesting to sorting and packaging.

Tour 6 | Innovation as a driving force: varietal experimentation and wind tunnel testing

This tour will take participants to Fuji Società Agricola s.r.l. in Laives, an integrated fruit farm that is innovative and committed to experimentation. The company grows 13 different apple varieties across 30 hectares, standing out for the breadth of its varietal portfolio. The visit will then continue to the Agroforestry Innovation Lab in Bolzano, linking on-farm experimentation with the latest advances in applied research and technological innovation.