It was a case of good news about the Thuringia Innovation Prize and its total prize money of EUR 100,000 for not one but six companies. First awarded in 1994, the innovation prize is one of the most financially worthwhile regional prizes for innovation in Germany, and is divided into categories: Tradition & Future (BioMedical Instruments), Industry & Material (GPM Geräte- und Pumpenbau), Communication & Media (AGETO Service) and Light & Life (eZono). This year’s special prize for young entrepreneurs went to the Erfurt company pepperbill and the Jena start-up Innovative Mobility Automobile.
“Innovation and invention are the foundation on which a successful region builds its businesses,” said then-Minister of the Economy Matthias Machnig. “Thuringian companies span the whole spectrum of top-class and highly marketable ideas.” The goal of the innovation prize is to bring these ideas to light, help the companies get their marketing under way and encourage other companies to develop innovative products.”
Also in November, three Thuringia companies were honored for their efforts toward energy efficiency. AEP Consulting from Gera, Herzgut Landmolkerei Schwarza, a milk processing plant, and Leitec Gebäudetechnik, a building technology company from Heilbad Heiligenstadt, were the winners, taking home a total of EUR 10,000 in prize money. “Twenty truly excellent projects were submitted. That’s a very good result that shows that the prize is becoming better recognized and that Thuringian companies are becoming more interested in implementing energy-efficient ideas,” said Professor Dieter Sell from the Thuringian Energy and GreenTech Agency (ThEGA) which provided the prize for a second time, in conjunction with Thüringer Energie AG. (gro)
<link http: www.innovationspreis-thueringen.de _blank external-link-new-window>www.innovationspreis-thueringen.de
<link http: www.energieeffizienzpreis.de _blank external-link-new-window>www.energieeffizienzpreis.de
