Verona contributes to the ceramics industry in Italy through its role as a business centre during Marmomac. The international trade fair is largely dedicated to the natural stone and marble sector, but its product portfolio opens up to manufacturers working in ceramics, especially sanitaryware. This landmark event brings together major corporations and brands from around the globe, laying out the full industry spectrum from raw materials to finished products and cutting-edge processing machinery and technologies. One of the standout features of this year’s trade fair is the spotlight on the latest digital applications revolutionizing the use of natural stone in increasingly eco-conscious ways. From 3D printing techniques capable of recycling up to 80% of processing waste to artificial intelligence redefining the architecture of the future using natural stone without relying on traditional materials like cement and steel, Marmomac is challenging conventions. The exhibition’s show halls brim with the latest technological innovations applied to marble and granite processing, demonstrating how the high-tech sector is becoming a crucial ally for an industry striving for sustainability. A key focus at Marmomac is finding innovative ways to repurpose secondary materials generated during quarrying, cutting, and modeling operations. Giuseppe Fallacara, Professor of Architectural Design at Bari Polytechnic University, emphasized the importance of reimagining these materials, noting that up to 80% can be reused through advanced techniques like 3D printing. Fallacara singled out the exhibition’s displays of physical prototypes as the next stage of evolution within the natural stone and ceramics industry. They are transformative as recycled stone powders and fine products when combined with binders can be reintroduced to the construction market through 3D printing, creating new blocks and structures. Marmomac also explores how AI can optimize natural stone processing in two ways – waste reduction, and structural integrity enhancement.