Münsterland business region networks at Expo Real

Festive award ceremony on 11 June in Heek

30 years after its premiere, the Münsterland Innovation Award continues to enjoy great popularity: a total of 95 companies submitted their ideas and 15 of them have now been nominated for the Innovation Award. They impressed the jury in the categories "Business", "Business meets science", "Start-up", "Small and smart" and "Digital business models".

The Münsterland Innovation Award is organised by Münsterland e.V. under the motto "Progress. Innovative. Shape. The Münsterland thinks ahead." organised by Münsterland e.V. "The diversity of the applications shows the ingenuity of the region's economic players," says Klaus Ehling, CEO of Münsterland e.V. "With the Innovation Award, we give particularly outstanding achievements the stage they deserve." With a view to the present and future, this also includes further developing the award itself, emphasises Ehling. In 2024, the "Transformation Award | Sustainability Impact" will also be awarded as a special prize for the first time.

Münsterland e.V. awards the innovation prize every two years to creative and innovative developments from the Münsterland region. Interested companies had from October 2023 to February 2024 to submit an application. The competition is supported by its sponsors: the savings banks in Münsterland, Provinzial Versicherung AG, Westenergie AG and Stadtwerke Münster GmbH. The decision on the nominees was made by an independent jury of experts from business and science: Dr sc. nat. Dr h. c. mult. Johannes Georg Bednorz (IBM Research Zurich, winner of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Physics), Prof. Dr Frank Dellmann (President of Münster University of Applied Sciences), Hans Hund (President of Münster Chamber of Crafts), Dr Fritz Jaeckel (Managing Director of the North Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Prof. Dr Bernd Kriegesmann (President of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences) and Prof. Dr Monika Stoll (Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Münster).

The winners of the Münsterland Innovation Award will be announced on 11 June at maakwi GmbH in Heek in the Borken district. The award is endowed with prize money of 4000 euros, and the winners also receive an image or product film produced for their own company.

The nominees and their innovations (in alphabetical order):

"Business" category:
BASF Coatings GmbH (Münster): "NovaFlex SharkSkin"
Hengst SE (Münster): "Blue.ion - Electrified cabin air filter"
Illucens GmbH (Ahaus): "Illusystem"

"Science meets business" category:
B. Lütkenhaus GmbH (Dülmen): "Demountable balcony connection bracket"
Matthews International GmbH (Vreden): "Dickenmessung 300ST"
Zauberzeug GmbH (Havixbeck): "Feldfreund"

"Start-up" category:
Pixel Photonics GmbH (Münster): "WI-SNSPD"
syte GmbH (Münster): "syte Renovate & syte Manager"
Truion GmbH (Münster): "CatFlux"

"Small and smart" category:
Bear-Machines GmbH (Heek): "Bear-Cut"
Paul Heistermann Metall- & Maschinentechnik (Borken): "Scaffolding plate lifter - GPH"
Maschinenbau Lewe GmbH (Coesfeld): "Heilers Messerwalze HMW 6.0"

"Digital business models" category:
enviado GmbH (Everswinkel): "enviado Service App" (eSA)
Eucon Digital GmbH (Münster): "SmartSustain"
WESLINK GmbH (Coesfeld): "Kibi Scada"

The sponsors on the Münsterland Innovation Award:

"The Münsterland Innovation Award once again impressively demonstrates the wealth of ideas and creative potential of our region. The applications submitted are the best proof of the immense innovative and creative power of the people and companies here. They thus make an important contribution to the competitiveness of the Münsterland region," says Dr Annegret Saxe, Board Member of Sparkasse Münsterland Ost, on behalf of the savings banks in the Münsterland region.

"The Münsterland Innovation Award makes forward-looking ideas and products visible and recognises them. Ultimately, the entire region benefits from this, as it strengthens the Münsterland as an economic location," says Christian Schäfer, Head of Group Strategy, Communication & Board Staff at Provinzial, emphasising the appeal of the award. "As an insurer with deep roots in the region, it is therefore only natural for Provinzial to support the Innovation Award as a sponsor."

Brigitte Vogt, Head of Marketing & Brand at Westenergie, explains the added value of the new special award: "The Transformation Award is a contemporary development of the Münsterland Innovation Award and recognises the innovation that achieves the greatest sustainability impact. A comprehensive understanding of sustainability in all its dimensions is important for this. Accordingly, projects are shortlisted that tackle economic, ecological and social challenges in equal measure."

"We are driven by innovative ideas and solutions to implement the energy and mobility transition locally. That is why it is particularly important to us to honour companies with the Transformation Award that manage to focus on sustainability in their business activities. The Münsterland region is a real breeding ground for innovation and plays an important role beyond the region when it comes to finding and pursuing new paths," says Sebastian Jurczyk, CEO of Stadtwerke Münster.