Last night the award ceremony, on the eve of the 32nd SaMoTer in Verona (May 6-9)
25th EDITION OF SAMOTER INNOVATION AWARD
30 EXCELLENCES HONORED FOR RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION SITES
Machines, technologies, software, components, and digital solutions designed to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability in work areas: the competition confirms SaMoTer as an international hub of innovation for the construction equipment supply chain. During last night’s event, two special awards were also presented for female leadership and major infrastructure projects.
Verona, May 6, 2026 – Thirty winners were recognized at the 25th edition of SaMoTer Innovation Award, the competition dedicated to the most innovative solutions in the construction machinery sector. Awards were presented in the categories: “hydraulic excavators”, “wheel loaders”, “skid loaders”, “telehandlers”, “lifting machines”, “transport machines”, “plants”, “software applications”, “attachments” and “components”.
Among the awarded excellences were highly innovative machines, technologies designed to enhance operator safety and comfort on construction sites, and new systems and software aimed at improving operational efficiency in machine management. The awards ceremony took place last night at Palazzo della Gran Guardia in Verona, during the SaMoTer 2026 welcome dinner, the international triennial construction machinery exhibition runs from today through Saturday, May 9, at Veronafiere (www.samoter.it).
The SaMoTer Innovation Award was created to provide a qualified international showcase of technical and technological advancements in the sector, highlighting companies’ investments in research and development and offering professionals concrete tools to stay updated on the evolution of construction equipment. The competition is open to exhibiting manufacturers, official representatives or importers, research institutions, universities, and professionals, eligible entries include new-generation machines, equipment, plants, and prototypes, as well as solutions introducing significant improvements over existing products.
The jury evaluated entries based on energy efficiency, production optimization, ergonomics, operator safety, and sustainability in both construction processes and machine usage.
The judging panel included technical and scientific experts and international journalists: Costantino Radis, technical journalist and panel chairman; Cristiano Costa, technical service manager at Unacea; Lucas Manuel Varas Vilachán, technical journalist; Alberto Seco, industrial designer; Vittorio Colombino, engineer; Massimo Bardissone, mechanical engineer; Marco Prosperi, general director of Assodimi; Giuseppe Andrea Ferro, engineer and Maurizio Quaranta, IPAF representative for Italy.
The awards were presented by Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere; Barbara Ferro, CEO of Veronafiere; Gianni Bruno, Deputy General Manager of Veronafiere; Valeria Santolin, Exhibition Manager, B2B Area and Matteo Pasinato, SaMoTer Event Manager.
During the evening, two special awards were also presented. The Female Leadership Award in the construction sector went to Giacomina Venieri, entrepreneur and ambassador of Italian excellence, «for her passionate contribution to the history of SaMoTer and for bringing Italian excellence to the world with professionalism and vision». The International Award for Major Works and Infrastructure Innovation was presented to Webuild for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the world and the biggest on the African continent: «a project that combines scale, innovation, and vision, aligned with global challenges related to energy, resources, and sustainable growth».
«The 25th edition of the SaMoTer Innovation Award - said Matteo Pasinato, SaMoTer Event Manager - once again confirms the central role of innovation in the development of the construction machinery sector. The awarded projects represent tangible excellence: machines and technologies that improve safety, comfort, and operational efficiency on construction sites, along with increasingly advanced digital solutions for process management. Our goal is to provide a qualified international showcase of the sector’s technical and technological evolution, enhancing investments in innovation and offering operators up-to-date tools to understand ongoing transformations. This year again, the high quality of applications and the contribution of the jury have made it possible to identify proposals that mark significant progress in sustainability, energy efficiency, and safety, confirming Verona as a global reference point for the sector».
WINNERS BY CATEGORY
HYDRAULIC EXCAVATORS
DEVELON – Winner
E-stop
For highly innovative solutions in active and passive safety.
KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY EUROPE BV – Technical Mention
SK165SRLC
For standardized production of excavators dedicated to highly specialized applications.
HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV – Technical Mention and DESIGN AWARD
LANDCROS Mini
For an innovative concept in the mini-excavator field.
MIDI EQUIPMENT S.P.A. – Technical Mention
TB20e Remote Control Kit
For optimizing an electrified mini-excavator and expanding its use in hazardous environments through remote operation.
WHEEL LOADERS
VF VENIERI SPA – Winner and DESIGN AWARD
VF22.03 - VF25.03 - VF27.03 - VF30.03
For an innovative project allowing maximum operational flexibility independent of a single power source.
HIDROMEK – Winner and DESIGN AWARD
HMK 635 WL Teleopera
For enabling remote operation with maximum comfort, even in extreme conditions, while keeping the operator safe.
SDLG NETHERLANDS B.V. – Winner
L958HEV
For innovative and highly efficient electric powertrain technology.
SKID LOADERS
CORMIDI SRL – Winner
Mini Track Loader CLX1500
For significantly improving safety in compact track loaders with patented solutions.
MAKBRENT SRL – Winner
MAK 150
For outstanding performance and a unique level of safety for its size and category.
TELEHANDLERS
MERLO S.P.A. – Winner
Non-original attachment configuration and management system – Patent No. 102022000018777
For raising safety levels when using telehandlers with various attachments.
LIFTING MACHINES
M.T.S. SRL – Winner
Mountain Spider
For an innovative concept enabling safe operation in complex and diverse environments.
TRANSPORT MACHINES
WACKER NEUSON SRL – Winner
Dual View Dumper DV 125 with Active Sense Control
For strong focus on safety in an increasingly widespread machine category.
PLANTS
BLEND PLANTS – Winner
Blend E-Series and A240 Full Electric
For innovative engineering of electrified drives, solving space constraints.
ROTAIR SPA – Winner
VRK-e
For a practical solution reducing emissions and operating costs in small compressor applications.
CIFA SPA – Mention
K60H
For improving safety and versatility in a market-leading machine.
SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
TRACKUNIT – Winner
IrisX
For simplifying machine management workflows from predictive maintenance to optimized use.
R.I. RAPPRESENTANZE INDUSTRIALI SRL – Winner
RI Rent Control Platform
For streamlining operational management for companies and rental providers.
COSMIC S.R.L. – Winner
LUISCO System
For significantly enhancing construction site safety in a simple and practical way.
CNH INDUSTRIAL ITALIA S.P.A. – Winner
RoofX
For a modular system usable across multiple machine types.
ATTACHMENTS
CGT SPA / ALAYAN SPA – Winner
LDR Excavation Bucket RodRadar
For solving a critical operational issue in urban environments.
STEELWRIST – Winner
QCSQ40 – SQ40 Quick Coupler
For high hydraulic flow and advanced standards in automatic couplers for mini excavators.
DYNASET OY – Winner
HRVB-HD Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket
For efficiently removing light pollutants in remediation and demolition sites.
MAKBRENT – Winner
MRP 50_15N
For reducing working times and improving efficiency and safety in road construction.
MANTOVANIBENNE SRL – Winner
SH2500F Shear
For advanced technology in high-performance equipment for marine demolition.
SIMEX SRL – Winner
D-BLADE 200 Diamond Cutting Disc for Skid Steer
For achieving very high productivity in a mature equipment category.
OFFICINE MALAGUTI SRL – Mention
Pile Centering Collar for PLURY Vibratory Driver
For increasing safety in a widely used but still accident-prone application.
SEPPI M. SPA – Mention
MAXICRUSHR xd
For patented technology opening new possibilities in soil stabilization.
RUD KETTEN RIEGER & DIETZ – Mention
ELASTO GRIP
For significantly improving safety with an original rubber track anchoring system.
HETTEC-COMPONENTS GMBH – Mention
HETTEC ELASTO Apex
For increasing safety in mini and midi excavators with rubber tracks.
COMPONENTS
CMB S.R.L. – Winner
HYDRAMEC 360°
For significantly improving safety in forestry handling by enhancing stability and reducing accident risks.
