In the realm of transformation: Hall 4.1 brings together science, education and publishing services
Driven by artificial intelligence, developments in copyright standards, sustainability requirements and many other factors, the publishing world remains in a state of flux. This is particularly evident in Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Hall 4.1.
This is where international academic publishers, the library and information sector, education providers and publishing service providers come together. Following the move from Hall 4.0 to Hall 4.1, the exhibition areas now have more total floor space at their disposal, with an expanded programme of events and additional opportunities for meetings and networking.
In the new Knowledge Hub (4.1 J100), presentations will take place every half hour, featuring primarily publishing partners whose services and technologies are aimed at the entire industry. On the Innovation Stage (4.1 A48), the focus will be on transformation, trends and market developments in the fields of academic an educational publishing, and publishing partners. The new Business Lounge (4.1 A68) has been created to provide space for meetings and networking. The fully booked workstations (4.1 J79) also provide further opportunities for discussion and meetings. In addition, the Audio Business Centre (4.1 K9), the B2B meeting place for audio professionals, has been integrated into the hall.
Education and EdTech
International providers in the education sector, including an increasing number of EdTech companies operating at the intersection of education and academia, are grouped in aisles A to C of Hall 4.1. Companies from Greece, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, China and Korea are particularly well represented this year. The focus is on digital learning environments, educational media and services ranging from pre-school age to university entrance level, for both educational institutions and out-of-school learning environments. The presence of educational publishers from South-East Asia, particularly from Singapore, continues to grow. The companies set to receive one of this year’s BELMA Awards (Best European Learning Materials Award) will be announced on Wednesday, 7 October, at 4.00 pm on the Innovation Stage.
Publishing Partners: solutions for day-to-day publishing
The Publishing Partners (aisles F–K) offer software products, consultancy services and sales solutions to publishers and media companies across all sectors. A wildcard campaign was dedicated to this group of exhibitors in the run-up to the fair. The winners – the Irish AI start-up Druid Learning and the Frankfurt-based software company Garage51 – can be found in aisle G. Find out more about the wildcard here(opens in a new window).
As well as their numerous sessions in the Knowledge Hub, the Publishing Partners will also be present on the Innovation Stage. Straive is supporting the programme as a Supporting Partner. During the Friday Innovation Talks, Bookwire will be demonstrating, alongside various partners, how transformation can be achieved (9 October 2026, from 2.00 pm). The stand of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, offering information and advice for the German book trade, is also located in the vicinity of the Publishing Partners (4.1 G15).
Some of the exhibiting publishing partners will be offering insights into their topics and solutions in the digital masterclasses throughout September. These include Learnetic, Kitaboo, knk, Virtusales and CaptionCast. https://www.buchmesse.de/en/masterclasses(opens in a new window)
A weekend for students and young professionals
At the weekend, the hall will become the headquarters for the Campus Weekend and the Young Professionals Day. Over the course of two days, the focus will be on those starting out in the publishing industry and students from all disciplines, who will benefit from career advice, job vacancies, networking events and practical insights into academia and research. For the first time, the workstations will be taken over from Saturday to Sunday by a number of private universities, which will be presenting their degree programmes here. Campus Weekend and Young Professionals Day are aimed at a German-speaking audience.
Programme (selection, as at 10 September 2026, subject to change)
Innovation Stage (4.1 A48)
Wednesday, 7.10.2026, 4.00-5.00 pm
Best European Learning Materials Awards 2026
The award-winning products will be presented during the awards ceremony. Followed by a drinks reception
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 9.00-11.00 am
The Scholarly Kitchen Live: Trust, Licensing, and Infrastructure in Scholarly Publishing
(NISO, Society for Scholarly Publishing, American Mathematical Society, Librarian in the Loop, Copyright Clearance Center, Kudos, ITHAKA, KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.)
Friday, 9.10.2026, Librarians Day with among others
- Charleston Conference (9.00-11.00 Uhr)
- Reading by emotions in times of crisis: The Libraries of Emotions search engine for more impact and discoverability (Love for Livres, 11.30-12.30 Uhr)
Friday, 9.10.2026, 11.00-11.30 am
Academic Publishing in Times of War: Supporting Science Community
(EASE - European Association of Science Editors, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine)
Friday, 9.10.2026, 2.00-5.00 pm
Friday Innovation Talks – by Bookwire and Frankfurter Buchmesse
A range of sessions will provide insights into how the publishing industry can successfully transform itself, such as "How to unlock untapped revenue potential with AI licensing." Followed by a get-together.
> All events on the Innovation Stage(opens in a new window)
Knowledge Hub (4.1 J100)
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 4.00-4.30 pm
How Educational Publishers Should Avoid Operational Collapse
Friday, 9.10.2026, 11.30 am-12.00 pm
From Manuscript to MP3: Rethinking Audiobook Production for Scholarly Content (Springer Nature)
Friday, 9.10.2026, 12.00-1.30 pm
Practical AI for Publishers: Build Your Own Custom AI Assistant (Publishing Signal and knk Group)
> All events in the Knowledge Hub(opens in a new window)
Dialogue Stage (Foyer 4.0)
Wednesday, 7.10.2026, 1.00-2.00 pm
When AI Answers First: Protecting Trust, Sources and Evidence in Science (Elsevier)
Wednesday, 7.10.2026, 3.00-4.00 pm
How AI is Redefining Research Intelligence for Publishers and Societies (Wiley)
LatAm Stage (3.1 F70)
Wednesday, 7.10.2026, 10.00-11.00 am
Identity Has a Sound: How Audio Preserves Cultural Diversity (SKEELO & UNESCO)
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 10.00-11.00 am
Beyond the Bookstore: how alternative channels are driving Latin American Publishing Growth (SKEELO)
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 11.00 am-12.00 pm
Distribution in Spanish Speaking Latin America: challenges and approaches (Nadie Distribuye, Big Sur, Nielsen Bookscan, Lecturable)
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 12.00-1.00 pm
Digital Distribution: Reaching readers globally through a variety of formats (eBooks Patagonia, Hipertexto-Netizen, Ingram Content Group, Lecturable)
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 1.00-2.00 pm
Metadata's new reader isn't human; it's AI (MVB LATAM)
Friday, 9.10.2026, 10.00-11.00 am
The Brazilian Digital Reader: the first national study, a decade of data; who reads, who doesn't and why (SKEELO & NIELSEN)
Asia Stage (5.1 A75)
Thursday, 8.10.2026, 2.30-4.00 pm
New dimensions of educational publishing in Asia: Areas of international cooperation
Global Stage (Foyer 5.1/6.1)
Wednesday, 7.10.2026, 11.00 am-12.00 pm
8. IPDF (International Publishing Distribution Forum): New ways of approaching direct-to-customer relations
Wednesday, 7.10.2026, 2.00-2.30 pm
GEO Hacks: Getting Your Books Found in the Age of AI Search (BookMachine)
Other venues
Friday, 9.00-11.00 am, Conclusio, Congress Center C2
IPA Educational Publishers Forum meeting
Friday, 9. Oktober 2026, 2.00-7.00 pm
International Convention of University Presses
For registered guests only. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/international-convention-of-university-presses-at-the-frankfurt-book-fair-tickets-1990118161995?aff=oddtdtcreator(opens in a new window)