Rules Best Mechatronic

IX Edition 2026

Final Competition
expoMECÂNICA 2026

The Best Mechatronics Competition 2026 is organized by Jornal das Oficinas, in partnership with CEPRA and support from Expomecânica.

COMPETITORS

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All Mechatronics in the automotive after-sales sector in the national territory, who practice the profession and who are active, can participate in the Best Mechatronics 2026 Competition, limited to 300 participants.

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RELEVANT DATES

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Pre-registration: between September 2025 and January 2026

Online simulation platform presentation webinar: JFebruary 2026

Finalist selection tests: February 2026

Briefing to the eight finalists: April 2026

Competition Final (Expomecânica): May, 2026

COMPETITION PHASES

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1st Phase: Pre-registration

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During this period, pre-registration is carried out by filling out an online questionnaire. Pre-registration generates a list of candidates, sequentially by date and time of registration, with the first 300 being effective competitors. The remaining candidates will be substitutes, and will only participate in the competition if effective competitors withdraw.

2nd Phase: Webinar to present the online simulation platform

Pre-registered candidates will be invited to participate in an online webinar, promoted during a CEPRA training session, after work hours. The online simulation platform will be presented in the webinar, where tests will be carried out to find the eight candidates who will be in the Competition Final. The webinar will be recorded and subsequently released for consultation.

3rd Phase: Finalist selection tests

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Effective competitors will take two tests, on the online simulation platform. The eight best classified, who show availability, move on to the next stages of the competition.

4th Phase: Briefing for the eight finalists

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The eight finalists will be present at a briefing, organized by Jornal das Oficinas, where they will be informed of all aspects relevant to their preparation and presence at the Competition Final.

5th Phase: Competition Final (Expomecânica – May 2026)

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The Final of the Best Mechatronics Competition takes place during the three days of the Expomecânica event, which takes place in May, 2026, at Exponor, in Porto. Over the three days, competitors will have to develop several tests, the nature of which will be announced in due time. Competitors will have available all the equipment, tools and consumables necessary to carry out the tests, as well as technical information. Competitors are responsible for bringing their PPE, the absence of which may make participation in the competitions unfeasible.

The evidence is evaluated by a jury constituted by CEPRA.

EVALUATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF TESTS

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The tests, prepared by CEPRA, are designed to measure practical and theoretical skills. The evaluation is objective based on the individual performance of each competitor throughout the set of tests applied. The evaluation of the finalist selection tests, by the Jury to be constituted by CEPRA, is obtained using the arithmetic average, and, in the event of a tie, those competitors who complete the tests in the shortest time and with the lowest cost of repair are privileged. In the final test, in the middle of Expomecânica, the evaluation is objective and will be based on performance in the practical tests, that is, the final evaluation of the practical tests is obtained through the sum of the partial results obtained during the tests carried out. The decisions of the Evaluation Jury, in all tests, are unappealable and aim to determine the final classification.

COMPETITION PROMOTION

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The Competition will be published in the printed Jornal das Oficinas and respective online platforms (website, newsletter, JO TV, social networks). Specific content will be published throughout the year on the profession of Automotive Mechatronics. In addition to technical information related to the different areas covered by the profession, there will be testimonies from the winners of previous editions of the competition and other active professionals, with experience in the areas of automotive diagnosis, maintenance and repair. The final competition report, with interviews with the winners, jury and sponsors, will be published in Jornal das Oficinas.

LOGISTICAL ASPECTS

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Participation in the Best Mechatronics Competition 2026 is free, but transport to the Competition site is the responsibility of each finalist. Equipment and access needs up to the 3rd phase are the exclusive responsibility of the competitors, and their lack/failure cannot be invoked to justify any action, namely the repetition of tests. During the final phase of the competition, the use of advertising by competitors, particularly on PPE, is subject to authorization.

Registrations

Mechatronics
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