The startup Gerotor from Puchheim near Munich was awarded the 2020 Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment (IKU) in the category “Process Innovations for Climate Protection.” The prize is endowed with 25,000 euros.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) have awarded the 2020 German Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment (IKU). Environmental innovations from seven German companies and research institutions were recognized. Among the winning teams is Gerotor also a company from near Munich. The startup impressed the jury in the "Process Innovations for Climate Protection" category.
Gerotor specializes in industrial energy management through the application of an innovative flywheel energy storage solution. The basic idea comes from Formula 1. Dominik Weigl, Managing Director of Gerotor, says:
"We have further developed them and made them accessible for a wide range of applications in industrial production processes. In some cases, we achieve energy savings of up to 50 percent and reduce peak loads by up to 75 percent for certain machines. This not only significantly reduces electricity costs but also CO2 emissions."
“You can make money with innovations”
This year, the Innovation Prize was awarded for the seventh time. The winning teams were selected in six competition categories by a jury chaired by Prof. Ottmar Edenhofer, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The jury's decision was based on the scientific evaluation by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research. The prize money for each winner is €25,000. Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze about the innovation award:
"Environmental innovations not only protect our livelihoods and Germany as an industrial location, but also ensure added value, jobs, and prosperity. With the German Innovation Award for Climate and Environment, we encourage companies and research institutions to explore new avenues in climate and environmental protection with creative ideas."
And Holger Lösch, Deputy BDI General Manager, continues:
"When it comes to climate protection, we face a Herculean task, the solution to which requires entirely new technologies and innovations. The winning projects of the IKU demonstrate the potential we have in our country and the urgent need to push forward. There's money to be made with innovative ideas. This must continue in the future so that the three pillars of sustainability—economic, ecological, and social—converge."
