The International Public Works, Construction and Mining Machinery Exhibition (SMOPYC) is hosting the Innovation Pavilion at its 20th edition, a space dedicated to technology, sustainability, and the professional future of the sector. Organized by the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Machinery for Construction, Public Works and Mining (ANMOPYC), the Technological Institute of Aragon (ITA), the Spanish Technological Platform for Construction (PTEC), and the National Federation of Excavators (FENAEX), the Innovation Pavilion will be located in Hall 9 of the exhibition center and will be structured into four activity areas.

This initiative was created with the aim of becoming the meeting point for all the stakeholders leading the transformation of the sector: manufacturers, technology centers, associations, and future operators and technicians who will take the reins of a rapidly evolving industry.

A space divided into several zones

The ITA Zone will showcase four prototypes developed in R&D projects that exemplify technological innovation in machinery and construction. Highlights include a 20-ton autonomous wheel loader and a vertical printer for facades, both winners of the SMOPYC Gold Award. Also on display will be a hydrogen-powered tractor unit and an autonomous truck for quarry operations, designed to promote digitalization, sustainability, and efficiency in the sector.

The Associations Zone will bring together the main organizations in the sector: ANMOPYC—which will also be carrying out its international trade missions at SMOPYC—ITA, PTEC, FENAEX, ALIANZA ELEVA, and the Construction Labor Foundation (FLC).

The Presentation Hall will host technical sessions focused on digitalization, automation, energy sustainability, and machinery safety. Each session will include four short presentations from companies in the sector and a roundtable discussion with experts. The session schedule is as follows:

• April 15 (10:30–12:00): Digitalization of Machinery and Construction: Data, Connectivity, and New Services, focusing on the role of digital technologies in the transformation of machinery and construction processes. Solutions related to equipment connectivity, remote monitoring, data management and analysis, predictive maintenance, digital twins, and construction management platforms will be explored.
• April 15 (12:15–13:45): Robotization and Automation in Construction Machinery, dedicated to advancements toward autonomous machinery, remote operation, and advanced assistance systems.
• April 15 (16:00–17:30): New Energy Sources and Decarbonization of Machinery, centered on solutions aimed at reducing emissions in off-road mobile machinery, including electrification, hydrogen, alternative fuels, hybrid systems, and other energy technologies that contribute to improving the sector's efficiency and sustainability.
• April 17 (11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.): Technological innovation for machinery and construction safety, focusing on technologies that improve the safety of operators and work environments.

2nd Competition for Future Professionals in Machinery and Lifting

One of the main attractions of the pavilion will be the 2nd Competition for Future Professionals in Machinery and Lifting, which will take place in the AFUPRO Zone and is organized by AFUPRO (Association for Future Professionals) with the support of SMOPYC and ELEVA (Alliance of Associations of Rental Companies and Manufacturers of Lifting Equipment). This initiative, which was very well received in the previous edition, seeks to showcase young talent and promote generational renewal in a sector that is increasingly facing this challenge.

Following an initial evaluation phase using videos submitted by students and training centers throughout Spain, the AFUPRO Evaluation Committee selected the 12 finalists who will advance to the in-person practical phase at SMOPYC 2026. The selected participants will have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in real-world work situations before a jury of industry professionals.

The finalists come from vocational training centers in six autonomous communities—Andalusia, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Murcia, Madrid, and Castile and León. Among them are the CPIFP Javier Imbroda (San José de la Rinconada, Seville), the I.E.S. La Rosaleda (Málaga), the Institut Narcís Monturiol (Figueres, Girona), the CIFP Bidebieta LHII (Basauri, Bizkaia), the IES Ginés Pérez Chirinos (Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia), the IES Humanejos (Parla, Madrid), and the I.E.S. Isaac Peral (Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid) and the CIFP Río Duero and CIFP Río Ebro centers, both in Miranda de Ebro (Burgos).

SMOPYC hopes that Pavilion 9 will thus become a key meeting point for those who want to discover how innovation and talent are changing the sector construction and machinery.