After delays due to the pandemic, the 31st edition of Samoter will now return on 3-7 May 2023. The event will take place at the Veronafiere Exhibition Centre in Verona, Italy.

This year’s edition will boast a new, high-tech section called Cantiere Digitale (The Digital Construction Site), a full-scale automated construction site set up within the Samoter Lab demo area, in collaboration with Quelli del Movimento Terra.

The Samoter Lab initiative is the result of a “constant and continuous debate with the sector, which expressed the need for a venue specifically for technological displays, combined with updating, discussion and training opportunities,” said Raul Barbieri, sales director of Veronafiere.

“Samoter Lab consequently focuses on technological innovation, digitalisation, de-carbonisation, safety and training. Cantiere Digitale (The Digital Construction Site) is the natural outcome of all this, as a full-scale work place for cutting-edge machinery and technologies.”

A number of companies will be taking part in the Samoter Lab project, including: CGT Caterpillar, Cenati, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Kiwitron, Komatsu, Leica Geosystems, Ma-Estro, Moba, SCS Survey Cad System, SITECH-Spektra A Trimble Company, Spring Machine Control and Way.

“The Digital Construction Site will host typical construction site processes several times a day to highlight advantages in terms of productivity, quality and safety, thanks to the use of [these companies]’ technologies,” said Sara Quotti Tubi, Samoter event manager.

Visitors attending Samoter will have the chance to watch 4.0 machinery and digital control technologies at work in the construction of road infrastructure across three strategic stages:

• Surveying with drones, GPS, scanners, mobile mapping and robotics.

• Design, with the creation of a 3D project to ensure a flat and regular new road surface and start renovation work.

• Machine-to-machine interaction, which is the stage when the project is uploaded to the processing machinery used.

“While the construction machinery sector is currently coping with rapid technological evolution, Samoter is back on the scene! Samoter Lab and the Digital Construction Site are a major response valorising the extent of these necessary changes,” said Ms Tubi.

Samoter will be held alongside Asphaltica, the exhibition for road paving, safety and road infrastructure technologies and solutions, which is promoted by and with SITEB (Strade Italiane e Bitumi).

Samoter Innovation Award

Samoter Innovation Award 2023 was also organised as part of the event, showcasing a range of solutions such as hybrid or electric machinery developed for earthmoving and various applications in the hoisting/lifting world; technologies that improve operator safety and comfort, which can make all the difference on construction sites around the world; as well as new IT systems and software ensuring better production process efficiency.

“The main focus of Samoter 2023 is on innovation, and in particular two topics of great importance: the ecological transition and the digital transition,” said Maurizio Danese, CEO of Veronafiere. “We are delighted to see that the competition awards have also taken this direction.

”We are preparing the new show which, thanks not the least to Samoter Lab and Cantiere Digitale (The Digital Construction Site), will turn the spotlights on to the real and effective implications of new technologies, automation and digitalisation.”

Ms Tubi added, “The Innovation Award has two objectives: to acknowledge investments made by companies to develop cutting-edge machinery and technologies, and to provide sector operators and the trade press a chance to learn about the latest developments.

“It is a qualified showcase focusing on technical and technological evolution in the construction machinery sector. Competition entries included machinery, equipment, plant and prototypes characterised by new design and/or practical innovations in use, as well as fundamental improvements to existing machines.”

The jury announced 16 winners this year in several macro-categories: hydraulic excavators, telehandlers, lifting machinery, plant, attachments, software applications and other machinery. A design award was also presented. Read more about the winners here.