The best companies are those able to systematically combine economic and financial performance, innovation, and sustainability, striking a balance among different dimensions that reinforce one another and ensure results over time.
This is the implicit definition of a “best performer” that emerges from the methodology underlying the Best Performance Award, led by Scientific Directors Maurizio Dallocchio and Leonardo Etro, which reaches its tenth edition in 2026.
The most recent edition, however, adds an interesting element. Alongside the award’s structural criteria, a specific hot topic—resilience—has been analyzed to understand how companies respond to a context of growing uncertainty. It has thus been observed that the most resilient companies are often also those that excel in the three fundamental pillars. Resilience does not define the best performer, but a strong correlation emerges: those that already excel also tend to be more resilient.
Three pillars and a hot topic
The Best Performance Award was created to identify top companies based on economic results, complemented by a broader interpretation of corporate performance. In recent years, the managerial debate has moved beyond a purely financial perspective to include dimensions such as sustainability and innovation.
This approach translates into three key pillars:
- economic and financial strength,
- innovative capacity,
- attention to ESG factors.
The underlying idea is that a company’s overall sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) is the true condition for competing in the long term.
Each year, a thematic in-depth analysis is added to this consolidated framework. In the 2025–2026 edition, the focus is on resilience, in response to a macroeconomic environment characterized by increasing uncertainty. The World Uncertainty Index, for example, shows a sharp rise in recent years, with an increase of more than +120% between 2024 and 2026.
This year, the research question was therefore twofold:
- What defines a best performer?
- And, in this context, how do the best companies behave in the face of uncertainty?
Antecedents and consequences of resilience
The award methodology follows a structured and well-established process. It begins with a very large universe (this year, about 960,000 companies), from which an initial group is selected based on economic and financial criteria (growth, margins, investments, and debt sustainability).
After further filters, the sample is narrowed down to a group of truly outstanding companies (115 this year), which take part in an in-depth phase based on questionnaires and interviews. These companies already represent an elite: they report an average EBITDA margin of 15.6%, about 1.2 times higher than the industry average.
The evaluation is based on around 400 indicators, organized into three pillars:
- Economic and financial (40%).
- Innovation (30%).
- ESG (30%).
Alongside these, the latest edition introduced resilience analysis as a hot topic. This was measured through more than 60 questions across 7 areas, including risk management, governance, strategy, innovation, and financial strength.
The finalists for the hot topic award show average revenues of €1.5 billion, a strong international presence (over 80% with significant foreign revenues), and solid financial structures.
How to better withstand shocks
A best performer is defined by the three fundamental pillars: finance, innovation, and sustainability. It is this combination that structurally distinguishes outstanding companies.
Resilience is not independent of these factors. On the contrary, the data suggest that it is the result of a well-built corporate system: companies that are solid, innovative, and sustainable are also those that respond best to shocks. Investments in innovation, sustainability, and governance are both drivers of growth and levers of stability. Tools such as diversification, scenario planning, and decision-making speed further strengthen this capacity.
Fostering companies that are more solid, innovative, and sustainable also means building a more resilient economic system as a whole.
