The fourth edition of the competition dedicated to the best young talents for tomorrow's manufacturing industry will take place on May 11th and 12th in Lainate (MI).
The most anticipated event in the world of Italian technical schools is back: the FANUC Olympics , now in its fourth edition, will take place on May 11 and 12, 2026, at the FANUC Italia headquarters in Lainate (MI). Forty schools will participate : 23 in the Industrial Robotics Competition and 17 in the CNC Programming Competition, for a total of over 80 students ready to challenge each other in highly technical practical and theoretical tests.
From desks to robotic cells: the challenge is real
Programming an industrial robot or a CNC machine is no longer just a textbook subject. At the FANUC Olympics, students from Italian technical and vocational schools compete directly on technologies identical to those used every day in the country's most advanced factories. Teams, each composed of two students accompanied by a designated instructor, will compete on FANUC ER-4iA robotic cells and ROBOGUIDE simulation software for the robotics competition; participants in the CNC competition will work on CNC Simulator and CNC Guide, developing programs in ISO language for 3-axis milling.
“Every year we see kids arriving with increasingly solid skills, and this tells us that the synergy between school and industry is working,” said Mirko Cazzaniga, Education Business Developer at FANUC Italia . “When a seventeen-year-old can program an industrial robot with the same precision as a factory technician, it's clear that something in the way schools are taught is truly changing. And it's a change that benefits the entire Italian industrial system.”
A national showcase that opens its doors to Europe
The FANUC Olympics aren't just a competition: they're a springboard. The top teams in the Robotics Competition will have the opportunity to participate in the WorldSkills Piemonte regional competitions in the fall of 2026, which will qualify for the EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 European Robotics Championships. This journey takes young Italian talent from the school lab to the European stage.
At the end of the two days of competition, the top three schools in each competition will be awarded prizes. All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
40 schools from all over Italy, one passion
The competing schools hail from 11 Italian regions, from Sicily to Friuli-Venezia Giulia, from Calabria to Piedmont, demonstrating how the passion for robotics and numerical control knows no geographical boundaries. Technical and vocational schools, ITS Academies, and vocational training centers will be joined together, united by a training program based on the FANUC-Sanoma educational laboratories, already present in hundreds of Italian schools.
The event was sponsored by: Sanoma, CIM 4.0, CIAC, ITS Lombardia Meccatronica Academy, Ingegneria Italia, Assolombarda, WorldSkills Italy, Politecnico di Milano, Salesiani CNOS-FAP ETS, SIRI, MADE Competence Center i4.0, Fondazione UCIMU, ASLAM, Mobilita ITS Academy, CIOFS Professional School and Free University of Bolzano.
The FANUC Olympics are a FANUC Italy initiative within the FANUC Education program, and a fun educational competition that helps train the technicians of the future, celebrating the talent and passion of Italian students.
About FANUC
FANUC Corporation is a leading global manufacturer of factory automation systems, including CNC systems, robots, machine tools, and presses (ROBODRILL, ROBOCUT, and ROBOSHOT). Since its founding in 1956, FANUC has been at the forefront of developing numerical control units for machine automation. With a global presence, 270 subsidiaries in 100 countries and over 9,000 employees, FANUC offers its customers an efficient and widespread system of sales, technical support, research and development, logistics, and customer service.
Integrated intelligent automation: bonfiglioli presents its mechatronic ecosystem at sps italia
At SPS Italia, the leading event for smart, digital, and sustainable industries, Bonfiglioli presented its mechatronics ecosystem , integrating gearmotors, inverters, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and advanced automation software tools. Highlights included the Axia drive family , solutions for shuttles, AGVs, and AMRs , the Bonfiglioli Automation Manager suite, and mechatronic systems for conveyors, palletizers, flow pack systems, compact warehouse lifts, and material handling applications. The Axia family: intelligent drives for even smarter automation The new Axia drive family , comprising AxiaVert and AxiaAgile , was officially presented at SPS Italia. The former is designed for complex, high-performance systems and features a modular architecture, numerous functional safety options, and advanced motion control capabilities. The latter represents a compact, cost-effective alternative for general-purpose applications. Developed on a variant concept, AxiaAgile is designed to meet diverse application needs thanks to dedicated configurations that simplify product selection and reduce design time. At SPS Italia, AxiaVert and AxiaAgile were presented in demo form, paired with three different gearmotors. Particular attention was paid to AxiaVert's integrated functional safety variants : Basic, Standard, and Motion Safety, which provide the flexibility needed to adapt to different application scenarios. This advantage allows for the optimization of safety architectures, reduced footprint, and elimination of the need for external safety components, while ensuring safe and controlled operation of various motions. Bonfiglioli offers all the key safety functions required by the market, including STO, SS1, SBC, SLS, SLP, and SOS. AxiaVert's safety functions enable increased uptime with continuous monitoring, in compliance with industry standards. Furthermore, AxiaVert supports FsoE communication integration, which significantly reduces labor and wiring costs by routing all safety communications between the inverter and the PLC via fieldbus. High-precision motion solutions for mobile robotics For mobile robotics applications, Bonfiglioli presented two customized versions of the BlueRoll platform , the solution developed specifically for shuttles, AGVs, and AMRs. BlueRoll is available in three configurations—Basic, Advanced, and Compact—and thanks to its modular structure and full customization options, it reduces complexity while ensuring accurate positioning, maximum power density, and energy efficiency. Each configuration is designed to perfectly adapt to the specific needs of the application and is available with a single component (servo motor or precision planetary gearmotor) or with an integrated gearmotor. At SPS Italia, BlueRoll presented a low-voltage precision planetary servomotor , compatible with 24- or 48-volt battery-powered electronic drives, making it the ideal solution for simplified installation and retrofitting. Advanced mechatronic systems for intelligent intralogistics At SPS Italia, Bonfiglioli dedicated a specific area to the logistics and intralogistics sector, presenting a series of mechatronic systems. For palletizers, flow pack processes, and compact warehouse lifts, the most suitable product is the BMD series synchronous servomotor . Presented here in three different solutions, it was combined with three different gear units—the TQ series precision planetary gear unit, the A series right-angle gearmotor, and the F series modular shaft-mounted gearmotor—and the AxiaVert inverter. For intralogistics processes, specifically conveyor belts, the solution presented at SPS combines the EVOX CP helical gear unit with a modular, reliable, and energy-efficient MXN motor and the AxiaVert drive. Finally, for smart conveyors, an A series right-angle gearmotor combined with a BSR synchronous reluctance motor and a sensor-equipped DGM decentralized inverter was present at the fair. Selcom: advanced electronic and mechatronic solutions for industrial applications Part of the Bonfiglioli Group, Selcom showcased its customized electronic solutions and a wide range of high-performance mechatronics and integrated systems, demonstrating its commitment to high standards and custom design. Among the featured products were PLCs, sensors, TFT displays with touch functionality, DC-DC converters for battery-powered applications, inverters, and an induction welding power source—all examples of Selcom's versatility and customer-focused approach. The spotlight was on the new industrial PC with seven GBIT Ethernet ports, capable of managing up to six different networks, as well as a dedicated commissioning port. With four USB ports and a display port, the system ensures excellent connectivity and flexibility, demonstrating Selcom's commitment to innovation and advanced integration. An integrated IIoT platform for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance Bonfiglioli addresses the key challenges facing industrial machinery, such as downtime and high maintenance costs, by providing an IIoT platform that includes Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance . The IoT platform uses dedicated sensors to monitor motors and gearboxes, collecting important data on performance and energy consumption. The sensors combine accelerometer, magnetometer, and temperature sensing functions, and transmit external data via wireless technology. Combined with an MXN asynchronous electric motor and a helical gearbox from the EVOX CP platform, these components guarantee high efficiency and flexibility. A complete IT ecosystem for efficient automation One of the key players at SPS was Bonfiglioli's Automation Manager , a software suite that integrates all digital tools into a single ecosystem, ensuring full integration across the product portfolio and throughout all phases of the machine's life cycle. Automation Manager comprises two macro-areas: Electronic Management Tools and Software Tools . The Electronic Management suite supports commissioning, monitoring, and diagnostics. It includes AxiaManager , dedicated to the configuration and management of Axia inverters, allowing users to simplify parameterization, monitor performance, and perform diagnostics during operation. Electronic Management also includes IoT Manager , which oversees the management of the company's IoT architecture and allows for the configuration of connected devices, firmware updates, monitoring field data, and managing system parameters. Completing the offering, the Software Tools are designed to support customers in selecting and optimizing Bonfiglioli components . These tools include the Smart Sizer, which helps companies identify the most suitable components for specific applications, starting from basic parameters such as load, speed, and operating cycle, and the e-shop that simplifies the customer's product configuration journey. Smart Sizer also incorporates the Efficiency Tool , which compares the energy performance of different motor-drive combinations, quantifying consumption, losses, and efficiency. Thanks to the Automation Manager, all Bonfiglioli products and software communicate with each other within a unified ecosystem, ensuring a simplified and optimized user experience, from initial sizing to ongoing monitoring. The Bonfiglioli Group Bonfiglioli designs, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of gearmotors, electric motors, planetary gearboxes, and inverters, capable of meeting the most demanding needs in the industrial automation, mobile machinery, and renewable energy sectors. The Group offers comprehensive solutions serving more industries and applications than any other gearmotor manufacturer and is a market leader in numerous sectors. Its three business areas—Industry & Automation Solutions, Mobility & Wind Industries, and Selcom Group—deliver the full breadth of experience and expertise acquired over the years in their respective fields. Founded in 1956, Bonfiglioli operates in 80 countries with 23 sales sites, 17 production facilities, an extensive distribution network of over 550 partners, and over 5,000 professionals worldwide. Excellence, innovation, and sustainability are the drivers behind Bonfiglioli's growth as a company and as a team, guaranteeing the quality of the products and services offered to its customers.
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