Mixing industry and academic insights with engaging networking opportunities, the IPA World Congress + Probiota Global 2026 will roll into Dublin’s Convention Centre from February 11 - 13, 2026 with a three-day program and the flagship Scientific Frontiers and Probiota Pioneers showcases.
The event is hosted by sister site NutraIngredients in association with the International Probiotics Association and will unite key stakeholders from industry and academia.
The program focuses on 7 key themes:
- From Gums to Bums: an exploration of the innovations, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for digestive health.
- Gut-Brain Axis: how the bi-directional interaction between the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system impacts mental health, cognitive performance and much more beyond.
- Microbiome Diets and Fermented Foods: a look at the key advances and market lessons from the fermented food and beverage space
- Next-gen prebiotics: going beyond traditional prebiotics, the sessions explores the emerging horizons in prebiotics and next-gen ingredients.
- Regulation: a wide-range view of the European regulatory landscape, including the impact of Europe’s 3R strategy.
- State of the Market: a deep dive into market data and key category trends as growing awareness of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics drive growth in food supplements and functional food and beverage.
- Strain Optimization Opportunities for Probiotics: investigating the past, present and future of strain optimization, including case material.
These themes will be explored across interactive presentations and debates in addition to engaging networking events - including the popular Probiota Social Evening.
Probiota Pioneers & Scientific Frontiers
Two key elements of the programme are also making a comeback in 2026.
Probiota Pioneers - the competition for consumer-facing, science or technology start-ups in microbiome science - and Scientific Frontiers, which spotlights cutting-edge microbiome health research, offer a chance for businesses and academics alike to shine in front of key stakeholders.
Probiota Pioneers will be of particular interest for up-and-coming functional food and beverage entrepreneurs, with past winners including WellVine, an alcohol-free real food prebiotic made from leftover Chardonnay grapes; and Preebio, which develops protein-based prebiotic products that target and promote specific bacteria in the gut.
So save the date and register before September 30 to benefit from an Early Bird discount.