FiltXPO 2026 Highlights Filtration Innovations and Announces Industry Award Winners in Minneapolis
The October 28–29 event brought together filtration manufacturers, researchers and technology developers, with discussions covering PFAS, artificial intelligence, water treatment and sustainable filtration solutions.
FiltXPO™ 2026 brought together professionals from across the filtration industry on October 28–29 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Organised by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, the event provided a platform for manufacturers, researchers, product developers and technology innovators to explore new technologies, discuss market developments and establish industry connections.
The two-day exhibition featured filtration products, materials, components and manufacturing technologies. Alongside the exhibition, the Advances in Filtration Technical Conference addressed emerging developments and challenges across air, gas, water and liquid filtration.
FiltXPO 2026 Announces Innovation Award Winners
One of the key highlights was the presentation of the FiltXPO 2026 Innovation Awards, recognising developments in filtration technology, operational performance and sustainability.
Awards were presented in two categories: Air/Gas Filtration and Water/Liquid Filtration.
Air/Gas Filtration Innovation Award
Winner: Solberg Manufacturing Inc. — Fully Automated Liquid Management System
Solberg Manufacturing received the award for its Fully Automated Liquid Management System, which integrates high-efficiency liquid separation with automatic pneumatic draining.
The system is designed to continuously capture and remove heavy liquid loads from vacuum systems while maintaining low pressure loss. Its automated operation aims to reduce manual intervention, protect equipment, simplify liquid management and minimise maintenance requirements.
Water/Liquid Filtration Innovation Award
Winner: Ahlstrom — Ahlstrom OptiPad™
Ahlstrom received the Water/Liquid Filtration Innovation Award for OptiPad™, an integrated filtration system developed for cooking oil applications.
The technology uses a proprietary combination of specialised fibres to create a micro-channel structure that captures contaminants while maintaining filtration flow. According to the company, the system helps extend cooking oil life, maintain food quality, reduce oil consumption and waste generation, and lower operating costs for foodservice businesses.
Product details: Ahlstrom OptiPad™
Other Innovation Award Finalists
The event also recognised finalists across both award categories:
- Air/Gas Filtration: HIFYBER — CombiNano; Leanfil Oy — Leanfil®.
- Water/Liquid Filtration: Acuriant Technologies Inc. — CUF Flow – More Water, Same Footprint; Gessner, a Mativ Brand — GESSNER PFAS Filter Media.
The awards highlighted developments aimed at improving filtration performance, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Technical Conference Examines Emerging Filtration Technologies
The Advances in Filtration Technical Conference was co-organised by INDA and the American Filtration and Separations Society (AFS). The programme brought together industry specialists to discuss technological developments, market trends and emerging applications across the filtration sector.
Key subjects included advanced filter media, PFAS, artificial intelligence, data centre filtration, water treatment, sustainability and next-generation filtration applications.
Technical presentations and industry discussions examined changing performance requirements, regulatory challenges, market opportunities and developments influencing filtration product design and manufacturing.
Filter Media Course Focuses on Technical Knowledge
Ahead of the main exhibition, INDA conducted a two-day Filter Media Course on October 26–27, providing participants with foundational and applied knowledge of nonwoven filter media and their applications in air, liquid and aerosol filtration.
The programme covered filtration technologies, performance requirements, emerging industry needs and opportunities for future product development.
The course was led by three specialists:
- Behnam Pourdeyhimi, PhD: William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor of Textile Materials, associate dean for industry research and extension at North Carolina State University, and executive director emeritus of The Nonwovens Institute.
- Hooman Tafreshi, PhD: Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University.
- Benoit Maze, PhD: Director of education and administration at The Nonwovens Institute.
INDA will continue its technical education programme with a one-day Filter Media Essentials course scheduled for March 22, 2027, ahead of IDEA®27 in Kansas City, Missouri.
FiltXPO 2028 Scheduled for Charlotte
Following the 2026 edition, FiltXPO is scheduled to return on March 29–30, 2028, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Further information about the 2028 exhibition is expected to be available from May 2027 through the official website, www.filtxpo.com.