The pathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains poorly understood. S100 calcium-binding protein A6 (S100A6) has been associated with PDAC; however, the effect of S100A6 on PDAC migration and invasion has not yet been explored. In this study, Panc-1 cells were transfected with a plasmid to induce overexpression of S100A6, and beta-catenin was knocked down using a specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The wound-healing and Transwell assays demonstrated that S100A6 promoted PDAC cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, beta-catenin shRNA inhibited the migration and invasion of PDAC cells. We confirmed that S100A6 induces PDAC cell migration and invasion via activation of beta-catenin in vitro. Assessment of mRNA and protein levels revealed that S100A6 induces increased expression of beta-catenin, N-cadherin and vimentin, and decreased expression of E-cadherin in PDAC cells. beta-catenin shRNA also altered the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers in PDAC cells. Specifically, expression of E-cadherin was increased, whereas expression of N-cadherin and vimentin was decreased. Finally, we demonstrated that S100A6 alters the expression of EMT-related markers via beta-catenin activation. In conclusion, S100A6 induces EMT and promotes cell migration and invasion in a beta-catenin-dependent manner. S100A6 may therefore represent a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.