The German Innovation Award has been presented in several categories since 2009 under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. This year, the Munich-based startup Vectoflow won the award in the Startups category.
Vectorflow is an engineering startup specializing in the production of probes for flow tests. Flow tests include wind tunnel testing of aircraft and cars, where air resistance or lift are tested. Probes are used to precisely determine speed or the angle of attack. Vectoflow manufactures such probes using a 3D printing process. This allows each probe to be customized to the customer's exact size, shape, and material. Furthermore, the production process makes them significantly more stable because they are manufactured in one piece.
In this way, Vectoflow has succeeded in producing both the smallest and most temperature-resistant metal probe in the world. With its probes, the startup has been able to increase measurement accuracy by up to 45 percent and, in some cases, even make measurements possible in the first place. The Munich-based company's customers now include Airbus, BMW, and the space agencies ESA and NASA. This success convinced the jury of the innovation award. A press release states:
“This means that the high-tech company from the Munich suburb of Gilching, led by a founding duo, has achieved a lightning start in a dynamically growing market niche.”
Innovation award for four companies
In addition to Vectoflow, a second winner was chosen in the Startups category: device manufacturer Hasytech Electronics from Schönkirchen in Schleswig-Holstein. Battery manufacturer Varta was also honored as the best medium-sized company, and mechanical engineering company Dürr Systems received the award in the Large Company category.
The German Innovation Award The award has been presented since 2009 by Accenture, EnBW, Wirtschaftswoche, and Ada under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It recognizes outstanding innovations, primarily developed domestically, by companies headquartered in Germany. These include product innovations, innovative business models, processes and services, as well as organizational and marketing innovations. The prize is awarded annually in three different categories: large companies, medium-sized companies, and startups. This year, the award ceremony in Munich had to be canceled due to COVID-19.
