After an enriching Host Milano 2025, IMA Coffee Hub reflects on its presence at coffee’s premier event and reaffirms its commitment to tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges.
As the coffee world transforms each year, tradeshows like Host Milano are a vital opportunity for businesses and innovators to unite in one place to help shape the industry’s future.
For IMA Coffee Hub, the three-day international event was a chance to demonstrate its leadership in driving sustainability, digitalisation, and production excellence. As a result, the IMA team returned to work energised by fresh insights, new partnerships, and a reinforced commitment to shaping a more responsible and efficient coffee supply chain.
As a complete coffee-production solutions provider, IMA was keen to elevate its latest machinery and digital systems at the show. Front of mind was how its customers – coffee producers – can address today’s critical challenges of sustainability, traceability, and performance.
“Host Milano 2025 confirmed what we’ve long known: sustainability and digital transformation are no longer trends but essential pillars of the industry,” says Nicola Panzani, CEO of IMA Petroncini and Commercial Director of IMA Coffee Hub.
“We’re proud to support producers of every size with flexible, forward-looking technologies that deliver value across the entire production chain.”
IMA’s presence at Host featured a comprehensive lineup of technologies that aim to reflect a clear commitment to reducing environmental impact while also improving efficiency. The featured equipment ranged from energy-saving roasting systems to sustainable pod packaging and smart digital platforms.
Roasting smarter
A highlight for the company was showcasing the TTR25 Evo, a hot-air recirculation roaster. With a production capacity of up to 100 kilograms per hour, the machine is known for its significantly reduced energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through advanced thermal efficiency and airflow optimisation.
“Built with durable, recyclable materials and featuring a modern design, the TTR25 EVO ensures both long lifecycle value and easy maintenance,” says Panzani.
“The integration of digital sensors and control systems supports precise monitoring and data-driven process optimisation, aligning with industry goals for traceability and quality consistency.”
According to the company, Host visitors praised the TTR25 Evo for enabling high-quality roasting while helping producers meet circular economy and carbon reduction targets, which are becoming an increasingly important area of discussion in global coffee markets.
Grinding for precision
Another feature for IMA was its Xtreme Grind, a modular multistage industrial grinder that blends granulometric precision and high-volume productivity. Available in three sizes, it is designed to support micrometric control across all stages, ensuring flavour consistency and uniform particle size distribution.
“With servo-motor automation, recipe-based settings, and high-quality output, the grinder is built to deliver consistent quality over time,” says Panzani.
“The flexible modular design and intuitive interface allow seamless adjustments and maintenance, which is a must-have for industrial producers looking for both scalability and repeatability.”
Compact pod power
The company also launched a new offering in paper pod packaging, marking the world premier of the CE1+CPVU.
“The launch of the new pod packaging line was a highlight for us,” says Panzani. “They combine exceptional mechanical reliability with a minimal footprint.”
The CE1 provides a production speed of up to 450 pods per minute and is compatible with compostable filter paper and sustainable packaging materials. The CPVU vertical case packer is designed to deliver high-speed, precision handling in compact dimensions.
“Together, the CE1+CPVU system sets a new benchmark in eco-friendly, high-performance pod packaging, proving that speed and sustainability can coexist,” says Panzani. “They are future-ready solutions.”
Also on display was the CA3, IMA’s flagship solution for soft and hard paper pods. Designed for high-output environments, the CA3 aims to offer full flexibility across pod formats and packaging materials, including those aligned with emerging sustainability standards.
“This machine offers an advanced process control that ensures consistency, speed, and adaptability. It is such a critical advantage in a market increasingly defined by diverse consumer preferences and evolving regulations,” says Panzani.
Built for experimentation
IMA’s versatility was also on display, showcasing solutions designed to support coffee processing businesses of every size.
For small-scale capsule producers and research and design (R&D) teams, the company’s TwinPro fully integrated grinding and packaging system caters to experimentation and small-batch runs.
Developed with support from IMA OPENLab, IMA’s network of laboratories, TwinPro allows for micrometric grind adjustments and rapid changeovers for different capsule formats and materials.
”The solution enables producers to test new brew configurations and evaluate compostable and recyclable alternatives,” says Panzani.
The OPENLab corner drew widespread interest from partners and innovators, the company said. It served as a collaborative space for discussing sustainable material developments, conducting early-stage tests, and kickstarting new projects.
This initiative worked to reinforce IMA Coffee Hub’s strategy centred on working alongside customers to co-develop solutions that meet emerging market needs.
The power of digital
Digitalisation was another major theme throughout IMA’s presence at the tradeshow. IMA Sentinel, the group’s digital platform, showcased how real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and AI-driven analytics can help transform machine data into actionable insights.
By enabling predictive operations and energy optimisation, it helps producers increase uptime, reduce waste, and move towards carbon-neutral manufacturing.
Furthermore, the IMA End of Line Hub demonstrated how the integration of technologies into areas such as cartoning, overwrapping, palletising, and labelling can support a complete, automated production workflow.
A sustainable industry
Host Milano 2025 revealed the future of coffee production is moving towards a more digital, sustainable, and adaptable environment. For IMA Coffee Hub, the event was not just a showcase but also a meaningful opportunity to listen, collaborate, and evolve with the industry.
For IMA, the show has only helped galvanise its commitment to developing technologies that align with global priorities – from carbon footprint reduction to smarter production.
“We are inspired by the conversations we had at Host Milano,” says Panzani. “They reaffirmed that producers worldwide are ready to invest in technology that enhances sustainability, protects product quality, and drives long-term success.”
For more information, visit ima.it/coffee.
This article was first published in the November/December 2025 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
