Overview of SICUREZZA and MIBA 2025 in Milan
MIBA – Milan International Building Alliance has reported that its 2025 edition at Fiera Milano in Milan, Italy brought together 1,369 exhibitors and 85,000 visitors from 112 countries between 19 and 22 November.
According to the organiser, attendance rose by 5% compared to 2023, reflecting continued growth of the format as a European platform for professionals in the built environment.
The alliance combined four events – MADE expo, SMART BUILDING EXPO, SICUREZZA and Global Elevator Exhibition (GEE) – to cover technologies, materials, solutions and regulations for buildings and cities.
MIBA reported that the combined programme addressed construction, architecture, systems engineering and technologies that support services, accessibility and security across building lifecycles.
The organiser stated that three themes framed the dialogue between companies, professionals, institutions and the research community.
These were sustainability, energy and digital transition and training, with each theme used to structure content across the four shows.
The organiser added that this framework was intended to reflect sector priorities and the transformation underway in how buildings and urban spaces are designed and operated.
MIBA confirmed that the next edition is scheduled to take place from 17 to 19 November 2027 at Fiera Milano.
Sustainability focus and the SusPrize initiative
MIBA reported that the sustainability theme ran across all four events, with particular attention on tools that can support delivery of European targets set by the green buildings directive.
The organiser highlighted the Made Sustainable Prize, known as SusPrize, as one of the main initiatives in this area.
Niccolò Aste, Professor of Architecture and Construction Engineering and Built Environment at the Politecnico di Milano, said: “The path pursued by MIBA fully embraces the spirit of the New European Bauhaus, the European Commission initiative that calls for rethinking the built environment by combining sustainability, aesthetic quality, and inclusion.
“With the Made Sustainable Prize (SusPrize), we wanted to translate this approach into a concrete experience capable of highlighting projects that demonstrate how innovation can be simultaneously beautiful, responsible, and deeply rooted in the needs of communities.
“In this context, the awarded excellences clearly show us that today’s trend is towards a conscious aesthetics that sacrifices neither material quality nor social quality.
“Regenerated living spaces, sustainable materials, architectures with strong community value: all of this is not ‘niche’ but represents a development model that can become mainstream.
“SusPrize aims to be a beacon: an invitation to anyone with a vision – artisans, start-ups, architects, companies – to dare, experiment, and reimagine the everyday.
“I believe this is the right direction to build a future in which excellence is not a privilege, but a common good.”
MIBA positioned the SusPrize awards as an example of how architecture, materials and community-focused projects are being framed around both environmental targets and social outcomes.
Energy and digital transition across building systems
The organiser stated that energy and digital transition were presented as strategic levers for renewal of the sector.
MIBA explained that discussions covered integrated design approaches, intelligent energy systems, digital platforms and new monitoring and management models across the building lifecycle.
The organiser linked these developments to issues such as electrical infrastructure, data-driven management and long-term performance of buildings.
Roberto Martino, President of Prosiel, said: “Efficiency, electrification, and digitalization of the building stock are crucial challenges for the country and require addressing issues that have so far been underestimated, such as the inadequacy of electrical systems.
“In this scenario, MIBA has proven to be not only an exhibition showcase but also a laboratory of ideas capable of fostering innovation, safety, and sustainability.
“The hope is that the dialogue initiated here becomes the starting point for strengthening what is fundamental for Prosiel: establishing a more robust dialogue among supply chain stakeholders to build a system, sharing a common strategic vision, initiating constructive engagement with institutions, and promoting communication capable of making even non-experts understand the strategic value of this transformation.
“We must accelerate: safe, digital, and sustainable buildings are not only an environmental choice, but also an economic and social one.”
Prosiel’s contribution focused on the role of electrical systems in supporting electrification and digital management, as well as the need for a shared strategy across stakeholders.
Training and SICUREZZA’s cultural security programme
MIBA reported that more than 100 conferences and seminars were held across the alliance, with professional training described as a central element of the programme.
The organiser linked this emphasis on skills to the ongoing evolution of building technologies, particularly in sensitive sectors such as security.
According to MIBA, new roles now require professionals who can select and configure technologies to suit specific application contexts.
The organiser pointed to SICUREZZA as a key venue for discussions on security-related training.
It stated that one focus area was cultural venues, where security systems must protect heritage assets while supporting visitor access and operational needs.
Carlo Hruby, Vice President of the Enzo Hruby Foundation, said: “To provide an adequate level of security in cultural venues, it is essential to invest in training and foster constant dialogue between security professionals and cultural heritage operators.
“At SICUREZZA, we wanted to reaffirm the value of academic education by presenting the Advanced Training Course in Cultural Security Management, developed with the University of Pavia.
“This program represents a real breakthrough, establishing for the first time in Italy the formal role of the Cultural Security Manager: a professional trained in the use of the most advanced technologies and their integration, capable of achieving a high level of protection while optimising the management and enhancement of cultural sites and the assets they house.”
MIBA stated that this course exemplified its broader view that training programmes must evolve alongside technological change in security and building systems.
How SICUREZZA and MIBA developments relate to safety practice
The MIBA 2025 data provide reference points for architects, building services engineers and system designers who are tracking European trends in sustainable, digitally managed buildings.
For fire safety officers, facility managers and security managers, the combined focus on energy transition, smart systems and security technologies shows how integrated platforms are being applied across building lifecycles.
The attention to electrical system inadequacies will be relevant for risk assessors, electrical contractors and fire-protection contractors who deal with modernisation of existing building stock.
At SICUREZZA, the training themes and the launch of the Advanced Training Course in Cultural Security Management carry practical implications for those responsible for security in museums, cultural institutions and heritage sites.
The formalisation of the Cultural Security Manager role in Italy gives system installers and technology suppliers a clearer counterpart when planning solutions for cultural venues.
The wider programme of more than 100 conferences and seminars offers a snapshot of how training expectations are shifting for professionals involved in selecting and managing building and security technologies.