Messe Frankfurt Announces Winners of Automechanika Innovation Awards

Messe Frankfurt has announced the winners of the Automechanika Innovation Awards 2016 which recognizes the most innovative companies in the auto industry.

The awards were given in eight categories including Parts & Components, Electronics & Systems, Accessories & Customizing, Repair & Diagnostics, Repair & Maintenance, Management & Digital Solutions, Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning and OE Products & Services. For the first time this year, a Green Award for the most sustainable innovation was given as part of the Innovation Awards. The winners were selected from 130 entries, of which 58 were from Germany while 72 were from overseas.

The winner of the Green Award was Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH for its development of ‘Taraxagum’ dandelion rubber, which was used in the company’s WinterContact TS 850 P tire and emerged as the winner in the Accessories & Customizing category.

The members of the jury included experts like Prof Willi Diez, Director of the Institute for the Automobile Industry (IFA), Dr Axel Glanz, CEO, Innovations Institute and Spokesman of the Innovation Association for the German Industry (IDWI) and Edwin Grabowski, Publisher of Car Wash Info.

In the Parts & Components category, Robert Bosh won the award for its ultra-light motorcycle battery, the M Li-ion battery which is leak proof, has a life span which is four times than that of a conventional battery and is completely maintenance free.

In the Electronics & Systems category, the PORTECTOR tamper-proof device that prevents vehicle theft without a key emerged as the winner while NGK Spark Plug Europe GmbH won the award for NCEM, which it claims is the most compact and lightest multi-gas meter in the world in the repair and diagnostics category, In the Repair & Maintenance category, Corghi Spa received the award for UNIFORMITY, the pathbreaking tire fitting machine that has a diagnostic function as it can detect rim and tire defects.

In the category of Management & Digital Solutions, AVL DiTEST GmbH won the award for its AVL DiTEST Smart Service 4.0 that uses new service interfaces to solve issues even before they arise.

In the Car Wash, Care & Reconditioning segment, WashTec Cleaning Technology GmbH won the award for an innovative MultiFlex Side Washing System that makes it easy to wash the rear of a vehicle as it pivots backwards and is highly flexible to facilitate washing of even difficult to reach areas like bumper depressions and the rear spoiler.

Valeo won the Innovation award in the OE Products & Services for the Valeo SCALA Laser scanner, which is the first laser scanner for automobile mass production. This innovation is expected to play a key role in automated driving as it can monitor the environment in front of a vehicle and detect the presence of any obstacles in its path.

The award ceremony for all the winners was held as part of a special interactive show today called “Saal Panorama”” in the ‘Festhalle’ on the opening day of Automechanika Frankfurt, which will conclude on September 17.