The International Agricultural Machinery Fair (FIMA) will hold the official awards ceremony for the Technical Innovations Competition and the FIMA Excellence Award 2026 on February 11 at 8:30 p.m., at the Paraninfo of the University of Zaragoza. This event represents one of the most important recognitions in the agricultural sector at both national and international levels.

This institutional event, organized by Feria de Zaragoza, highlights the sector’s commitment to innovation, research, and technological development, recognizing those FIMA 2026 exhibiting companies that have invested in solutions with direct application in agriculture and rural areas.

The FIMA 2026 Technical Innovations Competition aims to recognize products, equipment, systems, or services developed by exhibiting companies that invest continuously in R&D&I. Applications must correspond to innovations presented for the first time at FIMA and represent a relevant technical advancement aimed at improving process efficiency, work quality, occupational safety, or environmental aspects.

Applications are assessed by an independent jury made up of renowned professionals and experts of recognized prestige within the sector. Evaluation criteria include the practical applicability of the solutions, improvements in work performance, enhanced reliability and ergonomics, contributions to human capital safety, as well as advances in energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and business management.

The president of the evaluation jury is Emilio Gil Moya, PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Full Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, with Francisco Javier García Ramos, PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Full Professor at the University of Zaragoza, serving as secretary.

The jury also includes the following members:

• Jens Karl Wegener, Director of the Institute for Application Techniques in Plant Protection (JKI, Germany).
• Jean Paul Douzals, Researcher at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAe).
• Fátima de Jesus Folgôa Baptista, Full Professor in the Department of Rural Engineering at the University of Évora and Director of the Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development.
• Eugenio Cavallo, Scientist at IMAMOTER of the Italian National Research Council and Head of the OECD Tractor and Agricultural Machinery Testing Centre in Turin.
• Carmen González Ciria, Director of the Agricultural Mechanics Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
• Francisco Javier López Díez, Associate Professor of Agricultural Mechanization at the University of León.
• Luis Sanz Tejedor, Representative of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office of the Ministry of Industry.
• Carmen Jarén Ceballos, Full Professor of Agricultural Mechanization at the Public University of Navarre.
• Jesús Vázquez Minguela, Associate Professor at the Technical University of Madrid and member of the itdUPM Steering Committee.
• Juan Sagarna García, Director of the Department of Sustainability, Quality and Innovation of Spanish Agri-food Cooperatives.
• Mariano Suárez de Cepeda Martínez, Professor and Deputy Director for Economics, Infrastructure and Institutional Relations at ETSIAM of the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
• Javier Bueno Lema, Associate Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela.
• Diego González Herranz, Director of the Agricultural Mechanics Station.

In this edition of the competition, across its three categories, a total of two Outstanding Technical Innovations were recognized—an award given to completely new developments introducing substantial improvements to existing procedures—and seven Technical Innovations, which represent advances in functionality, performance, and reliability.

In the category “Tractors, self-propelled machines, robots, autonomous vehicles, RPAS and energy,” the jury awarded the Technical Innovation distinction to RoboCOMPACT, developed by Energreen S.p.A., as well as to the autonomous tracked robot RE3075, presented by Maquinaria Agrícola Segúes, S.L. in collaboration with Black Shire, S.R.L., for their contribution to improving safety and efficiency in agricultural work under complex conditions.

In the category “Powered machines and fixed and mobile installations,” the Outstanding Technical Innovation award was granted to the VARIOSMART system by Kuhn Ibérica, S.A.U., for its contribution to more precise and efficient fertilizer distribution within the framework of precision agriculture; and to the GS Seeder, developed by Maquinaria Agrícola Solà, S.L., designed for direct seeding on grasslands while preserving the soil and reducing erosion.

Likewise, the jury awarded the Technical Innovation distinction in this category to the DualCleaning-600-H system by ITM Filters, which environmentally prevents the presence of zebra mussels in irrigation facilities; to the MFLOW hydraulic system by Industrias David, which combines hydraulic and electronic technology to optimize the productivity of inter-row plows; and to the OPTISEED dosing system by Kuhn Ibérica, S.A.U., for its improvements in productivity, sustainability, and operational performance.

In the category “Agronomic management solutions and services, software and digitalization,” the Technical Innovation distinction was awarded to the SWS intelligent weighing system by Manitou, which enables static and dynamic load measurement during handling operations; and to the Corner Control & OptiPoint Pro+ solution, developed by Kuhn Ibérica, S.A.U., for its contribution to optimizing work processes and achieving more efficient farm management.

FIMA Excellence Award 2026

This award, now in its fifth edition, recognizes agricultural operations whose management and operational models demonstrate innovation and a positive impact, based on criteria of originality, practical applicability, sustainability, and achieved results.

The jury for this edition is chaired by Ángel Jiménez Jiménez, PhD in Agricultural Engineering and former Dean of the Official Association of Agricultural Engineers of Aragon, Navarre, and the Basque Country.

The jury members are:

• Alejandro Gutiérrez Liarte, Graduate in Veterinary Medicine and Technical Coordinator of Agri-food Cooperatives.
• Javier Lorén Zaragozano, PhD in Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Environment of the Government of Aragon.

FIMA 2026 awards its Excellence Prize to the Gardeniers Special Employment Centre, supported by ATADES.

Gardeniers is a benchmark in organic farming and social inclusion, integrating high-quality agri-food production, sustainable rural development, and job creation for people with intellectual disabilities and groups at risk of social exclusion. The project manages more than 20 hectares of certified organic crops, recovers traditional varieties, and closes the entire production cycle, highlighting its organic processing facility at Mercazaragoza, the only one of its kind in Spain.

With a strong commitment to innovation, circular economy, and territorial cohesion, Gardeniers has established itself as a model aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and a replicable example for the future of the agricultural sector.

With the publication of the competition results and the celebration of the awards ceremony, FIMA and Feria de Zaragoza reaffirm their role as a leading international platform for agro-industrial innovation, promoting knowledge transfer, business competitiveness, and the development of technological solutions aimed at achieving more efficient agriculture.