February 25 & 26, 2027 - Paris
PROTOTYPE aims to be a project accelerator, promoting strategic encounters between creators, companies, and investors.
Materials, uses, forms, techniques: the prototypes on display embody the craft of tomorrow, where expertise and innovation come together to create impactful and sustainable solutions.
PROTOTYPE is back in 2027! Building on the success of its first edition, the event will once again bring together creativity and innovation, bridging the gap between manufacturing heritage and contemporary design. This commitment is underpinned by a unique partnership with a leading provider of higher education in the creative industries.
In 2027, IFA Paris will become a partner and host of the event, opening up a fertile field: that of fashion, which is no longer limited to clothing but has become a source of inspiration for materials, techniques, technologies and expertise.
IFA Paris: more than just fashion
For 40 years, IFA Paris has been training the talents of tomorrow in the fields of fashion design and haute couture. Recognised as one of the best training programmes in France, the school supports enthusiasts in turning their creativity into a career.
"Training for careers in fashion also means learning to understand a subject, mastering a technique and engaging with other disciplines. With PROTOTYPE, we aim to provide our students with a practical platform to discover where their skills can take them and to meet the professionals who open up these opportunities."
Jean-Baptiste Andréani - Managing Director IFA Paris
> Have you developed a material, a new way of doing things, or a new production method?> Have you experimented with a process, repurposed a skill, combined techniques, or enhanced age-old practices?
> Have you carried out cross-disciplinary research or collaborated on the development of innovative new approaches?
> Have you explored a new application or addressed a contemporary challenge?
Now is the time and place to share your findings with professionals and decision-makers from all sectors.
Over the course of several days, PROTOTYPE brought together creators, researchers, designers, artisans, partners, and visitors around a shared belief: prototypes are essential tools for imagining and building the models of tomorrow.
Find the best of the 2026 edition on this website, and see you in 2027 for the next chapter in this collective adventure!
Our exhibitors tell the PROTOTYPE experience: back in images over 2 days of emulation (in French).
'PROTOTYPE is the very embodiment of the projects carried out within the Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications d'Excellence - Design, Materials and Innovation (Campus for Trades and Excellence in Qualifications)—and which we wish to develop within the framework of the project De-MAIN (Future Investment Program) by promoting collaborations between training, research, and economic actors. Visiting the fair has already opened up real collaborations.'
Nathalie Gillet
'It was a great experience, which taught us a lot and brought us, and already several projects are underway following the show.'
Jessica Boubetra
'I am convinced that this type of initiative, at both the national and regional levels, can highlight the remarkable expertise of our artisan-designers while inspiring new talent. Furthermore, collaborations with the academic research community could be established on topics where the scientific expertise of our laboratories could provide innovative solutions. These sectors of artisanal excellence, which are the very essence of our regions, will thus be able to enhance their visibility, appeal, and performance.'
Pierre Gohar
A unique public hub for the excellence of crafts and decorative arts.
The Banque Populaire National Foundation supports in the life projects of talented, creative people, eager to undertake and taste for innovation
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