VI-grade and HBK Successfully Launch First Smart Prototypes Summit
Udine, Italy, June 3rd, 2026 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, together with HBK, today announced the successful conclusion of the 2026 Smart Prototypes Summit, held from May 19–22 at the VI-grade SimCenter in Udine, Italy.
Uniting the global mobility ecosystem around the theme “Beyond Zero: Welcome to the Smart Era,” the 2026 edition marked the successful launch of the first Smart Prototypes Summit – the next evolution of VI-grade’s long-established Zero Prototypes Summit series. Developed jointly by HBK and VI-grade, the new Summit format reflects the industry’s transition from isolated simulation workflows toward fully integrated Smart Testing ecosystems combining virtual simulation, physical testing, AI-supported engineering, and connected data intelligence.
The first Smart Prototypes Summit welcomed more than 320 in-person attendees from over 100 global companies across the automotive, motorsport, commercial vehicle, tire, and technology sectors, with an additional 1500 attendees following the livestream online. Across four days, attendees experienced 40 keynote and technical presentations spanning six dedicated technology tracks, 25 live technology demonstrations, user group sessions, networking events, and globally streamed conference sessions focused on the future of simulation-driven vehicle development and Smart Testing. To relive the spirit of SPS2026, watch the official event recap video at https://youtu.be/N4LLL1rbRU8.
A recurring theme throughout SPS2026 was the growing convergence of virtual and physical testing into connected engineering workflows already being deployed in real-world development programs today. Presentations and live demonstrations showcased how the industry is moving beyond experimentation toward scalable, intelligent execution environments capable of accelerating development while improving correlation, efficiency, and engineering insight.
“The question is no longer whether to simulate or physically test,” said Guido Bairati, Vice President Sales at HBK and Managing Director of VI-grade. “The real challenge today is how to intelligently combine both worlds. Smart Testing is the answer to that challenge, and SPS2026 demonstrated that this vision is already becoming reality.”
Tanneke Reinders, Executive Vice President – Simulation and Validation at HBK, added: “The first Smart Prototypes Summit showed how simulation, validation, AI, and data intelligence are converging into one connected engineering ecosystem. By connecting the physical and virtual worlds, we can help customers accelerate development cycles and bring products to market faster.”
Post-event proceedings, including presentation PDFs, and selected video recordings, are continuously being released on the official SPS2026 website at https://conference.vi-grade.com
The official event photo gallery is available at:
https://vi-gradegmbh.pixieset.com/2026smartprototypessummit/
Attendees and online participants can also access the recordings of all seven livestream sessions, including the official Smart Testing launch presentation by Tanneke Reinders and Guido Bairati, together with all customer keynote and technical presentations delivered throughout the Summit. Registration-based access to the livestream recordings remains available online.
Uniting the global mobility ecosystem around the theme “Beyond Zero: Welcome to the Smart Era,” the 2026 edition marked the successful launch of the first Smart Prototypes Summit – the next evolution of VI-grade’s long-established Zero Prototypes Summit series. Developed jointly by HBK and VI-grade, the new Summit format reflects the industry’s transition from isolated simulation workflows toward fully integrated Smart Testing ecosystems combining virtual simulation, physical testing, AI-supported engineering, and connected data intelligence.
The first Smart Prototypes Summit welcomed more than 320 in-person attendees from over 100 global companies across the automotive, motorsport, commercial vehicle, tire, and technology sectors, with an additional 1500 attendees following the livestream online. Across four days, attendees experienced 40 keynote and technical presentations spanning six dedicated technology tracks, 25 live technology demonstrations, user group sessions, networking events, and globally streamed conference sessions focused on the future of simulation-driven vehicle development and Smart Testing. To relive the spirit of SPS2026, watch the official event recap video at https://youtu.be/N4LLL1rbRU8.
A recurring theme throughout SPS2026 was the growing convergence of virtual and physical testing into connected engineering workflows already being deployed in real-world development programs today. Presentations and live demonstrations showcased how the industry is moving beyond experimentation toward scalable, intelligent execution environments capable of accelerating development while improving correlation, efficiency, and engineering insight.
“The question is no longer whether to simulate or physically test,” said Guido Bairati, Vice President Sales at HBK and Managing Director of VI-grade. “The real challenge today is how to intelligently combine both worlds. Smart Testing is the answer to that challenge, and SPS2026 demonstrated that this vision is already becoming reality.”
Tanneke Reinders, Executive Vice President – Simulation and Validation at HBK, added: “The first Smart Prototypes Summit showed how simulation, validation, AI, and data intelligence are converging into one connected engineering ecosystem. By connecting the physical and virtual worlds, we can help customers accelerate development cycles and bring products to market faster.”
Post-event proceedings, including presentation PDFs, and selected video recordings, are continuously being released on the official SPS2026 website at https://conference.vi-grade.com
The official event photo gallery is available at:
https://vi-gradegmbh.pixieset.com/2026smartprototypessummit/
Attendees and online participants can also access the recordings of all seven livestream sessions, including the official Smart Testing launch presentation by Tanneke Reinders and Guido Bairati, together with all customer keynote and technical presentations delivered throughout the Summit. Registration-based access to the livestream recordings remains available online.
German version available here
English version available here