IN FOCUS

The fourth batch of the HIGH-TECH.NRW accelerator programme culminated in a Demo Day at Wilopark. After twelve weeks of mentoring and coaching, the founders of ten hardware-based high-tech and deep-tech start-ups from all over North Rhine-Westphalia presented their ideas to a large audience and took part in the competition.

Technology companies Microsoft and Apple have been recognised alongside Martens Brewery and utilities Thames Water and Severn Trent Water as recipients of the Lighthouse Awards 2024, presented to organisations leveraging innovation to protect and enhance water supplies globally. Launched in 2020 by the Brave Blue World Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to scientific and educational storytelling, the Lighthouse Awards identify pioneers who have shone a path to water resilience and security for others to follow. They have developed new ways of using technology in collaboration to reduce their impact in water stressed regions or build resilience in local water systems.

ClydeUnion Pumps, a Celeros Flow Technology brand, has been named Company of the Year at the Scottish Engineering Awards 2024. The award, announced at a ceremony on Thursday 23 May, recognises the contribution that ClydeUnion Pumps has made to the Scottish engineering sector and its continued commitment to raising standards in the industry.

Ingelfingen-based technology company GEMÜ has been named a “Digital Champion” by Focus Money and Deutschland Test for the third time running. GEMÜ was awarded a ranking of second place among companies recognized in the “machinery and plant construction” sector.

Greene Tweed has announced the winner of its first-ever Innovation Award, honoring Ferdinand Gonzaga, a Ph.D. in molecular and supramolecular chemistry and a scientist in the company’s Advanced Technology Group, which is responsible for developing new materials to perform in the most demanding industries and applications. The award was presented by Chairman Allon Bloch, CEO Magen Buterbaugh, and Kenneth Stanley, representing Greene Tweed family ownership, at a special event at Greene Tweed’s Kulpsville, Pa. plant.

Pentair, a leader in helping the world sustainably move, improve, and enjoy water, is honored to receive the 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy. This is the twelfth consecutive year Pentair has received this award.

The Wilo Group has received the prestigious Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA). A jury of leading experts from industry and science have recognised the multinational technology group in the “Add Value!” category for the adaptive worker assistance that has been deployed in the Smart Factory at the Wilopark in Dortmund.

EA has won the MMK Award of Excellence in the “Sustainability” category for the introduction of the Add Better ecolabel. This designates innovative GEA solutions that are significantly more resource-efficient than their predecessors.

GEA scores an ‘A’ for its transparency and performance on climate change by global environmental non-profit organization CDP. This marks the third time in a row that the mechanical engineering company has been included in CDP’s A list, which is the highest possible rating. According to CDP, GEA is only one of a small number of companies that achieved an ‘A’ – out of 21,000 companies scored.

GF has secured an “A” score, the highest possible, by the global rating agency CDP for transparency and performance on climate change, after the company was awarded an “A-” for three consecutive years. For its ambitions around water security, GF has maintained its previous rating of “A-”.