Technical Innovations: a “systemic” success

03.10.2024

The Competition offers an opportunity to think about how to support research. Innovation should be considered a 'systemic' challenge involving industries, public bodies, professional organizations, education and training facilities. The agricultural machinery sector is one of the most active in the development of new technologies. Over 680 applications were received during the last five competition events, of these, 132 were awarded recognition for their 'Technical Innovation', and another 260 received 'Technical Honorable Mentions'.

“The award ceremony for the Technical Innovations competition is an event of great importance, not only in the calendar of EIMA events but in the very life of our Federation and our sector”. These are the words the President of FederUnacoma, Mariateresa Maschio, used to open the awards ceremony of the EIMA 2024 Technical Innovations competition this afternoon in Bologna in front of a large audience of representatives of manufacturers, delegates of institutions and professional organizations, and information operators. The event also saw the participation of speakers such as the Vice President of the BolognaFiere, Rosa Grimaldi, the head of the sector of competitiveness of companies, as well as the General Manager of FederUnacoma, Simona Rapastella. “The competition is a prestigious event recognized for its long history, its technological content and the authoritativeness of the jury - said the President of the agricultural machinery manufacturers in her speech - and it rewards highly innovative individual models, along with the host of technicians and designers who create them, strengthening the competitiveness of their brands”.

“However - added Mariateresa Maschio - the Competition is the ideal opportunity to talk about innovation in a broad sense, to reflect on how technology responds to the great challenges of productivity and sustainability and to think about how to support research, since innovation is a 'systemic' challenge that involves, in addition to industries, public bodies, professional organizations, and education and training structures”.

The agricultural machinery sector is one of the most active in the research and development of new technologies, with investments that are increasing year by year. The Technical Innovations competition has now been held 30 times and has come to be known as one of the most qualified and prestigious technological showcases in the world. It has seen impressive growth in recent years in terms of the quantity and quality of the new solutions presented and evaluated by an international commission of experts and academics coordinated by the Head of the FederUnacoma Technical Office, Davide Gnesini.

“In the last five event, held from 2014 to the present - said Simona Rapastella - the Evaluation Committee received a total of 680 applications, of which 132 received our highest recognition for their 'Technical Innovation', and another 260 received 'Technical Honorable Mentions'”. The main trends have included the development of electric propulsion and drive systems, sensorization and data exchange, the ISOBUS communication protocol with its subsequent increasingly advanced functionalities. “If the technical solutions have constantly evolved over time - concluded the Director of FederUnacoma - the main objectives of the innovations are constantly recurring: harmonization of agriculture with the natural environment, reduction of energy consumption, and the improvement of operating conditions in terms of safety and ergonomics”.

“The award-winning innovations will be on display in the Bologna exhibition center during the five days of the EIMA event, from November 6 to 10,” concluded Simona Rapastella. “They are the symbol of changes encompassing the entire sector and that can be seen in all the new products presented at the Bologna show by the 1,700 participating companies.”

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