Ryco named 2026 Most Innovative Company in Small Company category

Ryco has been named a 2026 Most Innovative Company in the Small Company category at the Australian Financial Review Most Innovative Companies awards.

The recognition follows Ryco's entry with the innovation behind its SynTec Performance Oil Filters, which also received Gold in the Manufacturing & Consumer Goods category The Small Company award recognises Ryco in relation to the size of its organisation.

The 2026 programme awards winners by company size as well as industry, with entries assessed on the nominated innovation and the organisation's broader innovation practice.

Ryco's SynTec submission demonstrated how a specialist filtration business can turn customer and motorsport needs into a market-ready product. Designed and tested in Ryco's dedicated filtration laboratory in Melbourne, SynTec was developed to improve the balance between filtration efficiency, contaminant capacity and oil flow.

The technology was shaped through Ryco's work with the Repco Supercars Championship and GEN3 engines before being introduced to a growing range of performance and passenger vehicle applications.

"Winning Most Innovative Company in the Small Company category recognises the capability behind SynTec. The product is the result of long-term investment in engineering, testing, product development, supplier collaboration and motorsport partnerships. For a company of our size, this award is a meaningful acknowledgement that disciplined innovation can have a real impact in the aftermarket," said Ryco's Executive General Manager of Engineering, Alastair Hampton.

The award reflects Ryco's broader approach to engineering and development, and their ability to achieve great innovations with a smaller team, all of which combines customer insight with laboratory testing, engineering expertise and practical market feedback.

It also recognises the people and processes that support Ryco's ability to develop, validate and commercialise filtration solutions for workshops, enthusiasts, fleets and drivers.