IFA 2026, Europe’s largest consumer electronics trade show, runs from September 4 to 8 at Messe Berlin in Germany. This year’s theme, “The Future Is Now,” declares a transformation into a next-generation technology platform that goes well beyond home appliances, significantly expanding into artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and digital health.

Organizers said more than 1,900 brands from 49 countries are participating, with approximately 220,000 visitors from over 140 countries expected. IFA is considered one of the world’s top three electronics and IT trade shows, alongside CES in Las Vegas and Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Notably, decision-makers account for 80% of visitors and international retail buyers make up 65%, giving the event a strong character as a “deal-making venue” where actual business gets done.

This year’s European home appliance market is estimated at $249.6 billion (approximately 343.8 trillion won) according to market research firm Fortune Business Insights. As the world’s second-largest market after North America, it is set to become a three-way battleground among South Korean, Chinese, and European companies.

Restructuring at European Legacy Brands and China’s Offensive

European homegrown appliance brands are cutting production facilities and headcount amid rising energy and labor costs, a sluggish housing market, and price competition from Chinese rivals. Sweden’s Electrolux has decided to close its refrigerator plant in Jászberény, Hungary by year-end. BSH, which owns appliance brands including Bosch and Siemens, plans to sequentially halt production at two German plants and cut approximately 1,400 jobs. Miele is reducing or relocating up to 2,700 positions worldwide through its “Miele Performance Program.”

China is the one exploiting that opening. Chinese companies registered for this year’s IFA total 932, up roughly 200 from last year—a record high approaching half of all exhibitors. Chinese firms are expanding into Europe in response to intensifying competition in the U.S. market.

Hisense and TCL, which vie for the top two spots in China, plan to showcase not only their latest TVs but also future living concepts combining AI and smart home technology. Chinese robot vacuum makers including Roborock, Ecovacs, and Dreame will unveil new products, while Xiaomi is making its IFA debut with an AI ecosystem connecting smartphones, appliances, and mobility. Chinese robotics companies such as Unitree, AgiBot, Deep Robotics, and EngineAI are also out in force.

Samsung and LG’s Strategic Divergence

South Korean companies are targeting the premium market with high-efficiency, AI-powered appliances and business-to-business (B2B) offerings. Samsung Electronics has, for the first time since its IFA debut in 1991, moved outside the main venue to set up a separate exhibition space at Humboldt Carré in central Berlin. Beginning September 2—two days before the official opening—the company is running new product launches and business programs for major European retailers, B2B customers, and media. This is being interpreted as a strategic pivot toward a “deal-centric” approach.

LG Electronics is building a large-scale exhibition hall in Hall 18 of Messe Berlin, putting its consumer-facing experiential AI Home front and center. Under the theme “Innovation in Harmony with You,” the company is demonstrating how appliances, TVs, and services connect across living spaces. It plans to present an AI Home that builds on last year’s “AI Appliance Orchestra” debut, identifying customer lifestyle patterns and even managing energy usage.

Elsewhere from South Korea, 79 companies and organizations are participating, including Bodyfriend, Cuckoo, Rebellions, FuriosaAI, HyperExcel, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, Daejeon Technopark, and Pohang Technopark.

AI and Robotics Take Center Stage

This year’s IFA is expected to see a particularly strong robotics presence. Organizers are debuting a “Robot Runway” featuring humanoid robots and other machines, highlighting AI and robotics as key exhibition areas. Cultural programs including music performances are also planned to broaden engagement with younger generations.

Global IT companies are participating as well. Nvidia is hosting a consumer tech demo showcase, presenting its latest technologies in gaming, creation, and AI. At AMD, Jack Huynh, senior vice president and general manager of the Computing and Graphics Business Group, will deliver a keynote on “The Era of Personalized AI.”

German appliance makers are also defending their home turf. Miele plans to introduce products that enhance everyday convenience, including AI-powered dishwashers, cooking assistants, next-generation washers and dryers, and cordless vacuums. Siemens, Bosch, and Liebherr are also launching new products, strengthening their competitiveness with AI and high-efficiency offerings.

This year’s IFA is poised to be a stage that plainly reveals how leadership in the European home appliance market is being reshaped from European homegrown brands into a competitive dynamic between China and South Korea.