CPHI & PMEC Shanghai 2026: Reflecting on a Global Milestone
- Marketing @ STV Machine
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
From June 16 to 18, STV Machine attended CPHI & PMEC Shanghai 2026 — our first time exhibiting at this show, and a deliberate step in our plan to expand into global markets and connect with agents and potential buyers on an international stage.
We exhibited within a shared section at the show, occupying a corner space where our CombiLab 5 took centre stage. It was a modest footprint for a debut appearance and exactly the right size for the conversations we came to have.
Representing STV Machine at the show were our STV Machine team comprising of Directors, International Manager, Engineers, Sales and Marketing.
What We Learned From the Show Floor
One of the most valuable parts of exhibiting internationally is what the visitors tell you about the machine that you are exhibiting. Over three days, the conversations at our booth painted a clear picture of where demand for pharmaceutical processing equipment is heading, and why.
Our visitors came from a genuinely international spread: the Middle East, several African nations including Kenya and Nigeria — both markets with growing pharmaceutical manufacturing ambitions and established trade ties to China — Latin America, Russia, and countries across Southeast Asia. Many of these visitors were drawn to the region specifically for competitive pricing, comparing options across manufacturers before making a decision.
A particularly notable group of visitors came from Russia. Due to current trade restrictions, Russian manufacturers are increasingly unable to source equipment from traditional European suppliers, even as their requirements remain shaped by European-grade standards. What stood out in these conversations was a specific and growing interest in extruder pelletizers for granulation lines, a clear signal of where this market's needs are concentrated as it adapts to new sourcing realities.
“The build quality and the technology remind me of German engineering and machines” - A visitor's reflection after viewing the Combilab 5 up close
That comment captured something we heard in different words throughout the show. Visitors who understood fluid bed drying technology consistently responded well to the STV Diskjet airflow system behind the Combilab 5 recognising the engineering as comparable to established European manufacturers, even while STV Machine offers it at a more competitive price point.
We also noticed a recurring theme in how visitors approached the question of after-sales support. Russian visitors in particular were actively looking for a local agent or partner who could provide more responsive service and support. Other visitors, especially from neighbouring Southeast Asian markets like Malaysia and Thailand, felt more at ease given the region's proximity to our manufacturing base in Vietnam.
Across nearly every conversation, one thing came up again and again: genuine curiosity that a Vietnamese and more broadly Southeast Asian manufacturer, was present on the international stage at all. It is still a rare sight in this industry, and that scarcity worked in our favour throughout the show.
What We Walked Away With
By the end of the show, we had engaged in dozens of conversations and reached international target audiences, a strong outcome for a first-time appearance at an exhibition of this scale.
Among the most meaningful moments of the show was reconnecting with our existing agent in Bangladesh, who has already sold several STV Machine units in his market. Strengthening that relationship in person and beyond the usual remote correspondence reinforced the value of these international partnerships and gave us a clearer picture of how to support his continued success.
We also opened new conversations with potential agents in the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia — three Southeast Asian markets we are actively looking to strengthen as part of our regional growth. Each of these conversations is at an early stage, but they represent exactly the kind of relationship-building this show was designed for.
And then there was the Combilab 5 itself. Visitors who understood granulation and drying technology responded to it with a level of technical respect that validates years of engineering work in a single conversation.
Looking Ahead
CPHI & PMEC Shanghai 2026 confirmed two things we believed but had not yet tested on this scale: that there is real international demand for European-grade pharmaceutical processing technology at a more accessible price point, and that STV Machine is genuinely capable of competing for that demand on a global stage.
This was our first appearance at CPHI and it will not be our last. We see this show as a stepping stone toward even larger ambitions, bigger booths, and a stronger international presence in the years ahead.
In the coming weeks, we will be following up directly with everyone we connected with sending technical documentation, answering outstanding questions, and continuing the conversations that began on the show floor.
We want to extend our sincere thanks to the organisers of CPHI & PMEC Shanghai for hosting a show that brought together such a genuinely global audience, and to everyone who took the time to stop by our corner of the exhibition hall and ask a question, share a challenge, or simply see the CombiLab 5 in motion.
See you at CPHI & PMEC 2027.
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To learn more about the CombiLab 5 or STV Machine, contact STV Machine directly:
• Email: sales@stvmachine.com.vn
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stvmachine
• Website: www.stvmachine.com.vn
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