SME wins award for successful innovations and climate of innovation
At the 26th annual TOP 100 innovation contest J. Wagner GmbH of Markdorf (Germany) made it into the ranks of the best in the business. On 28 June in the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt, the company was awarded the accolade by the contest mentor Ranga Yogeshwar, along with the scientific leader of the study Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke, and compamedia. TOP 100 uses a scientific system of measurement to evaluate innovation management in small and medium-sized companies. In an independent selection process the 480 worker-strong company won thanks in particular to its successful innovations and its climate of innovation.
This top innovator has been differentiating itself with its spray systems and surface-coating machines since 1953. Now, another invention has been added to its many patents – High Efficiency Airless Technology. In this technology an additional nozzle is placed just before the actual atomization nozzle. The result is that the material being sprayed is atomized in the same volume and speed as with conventional systems, but at a significantly lower pressure. This improves the spray pattern and produces up to 55 percent less spray mist. In addition, the new devices are more durable because the machine components are subjected to less wear. Another invention from this SME is a fully automated, integrated powder coating system. It guarantees a reliable process with a consistently high quality coating.
And the TOP 100 company doesn't stop there: The inventors have developed a spray technology that even enables products to be sprayed onto human skin. The idea was developed in the specially built "freiraum" business incubator space, a place where ideas and projects can be tried out without any pressure to deliver successful results. This is how IONIQ came into being − an internal company start-up. "The vision behind IONIQ, of a machine and systems manufacturer establishing a cosmetics company, is quite unique" explained CEO Dr. Bruno Niemeyer. The product will also soon be available in the drugstore market.
Background information
TOP 100: the contest
Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal of approval to small and medium enterprises that display a particular ability to innovate and above-average success rates for innovations. Since 2002, the scientific lead has been Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke. Franke is the founder and chairman of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar is the TOP 100 project’s mentor. The Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research and the German Association of Small and Medium sized Businesses ("BVMW") are partners in the project. Media partners in the comparative study of the companies are the German business publications "manager magazin", "impulse" and "W&V". More information can be found at www.top100.de.
Contact details at compamedia GmbH:
Sven Kamerar
T+ 07551 94986-33
presse@compamedia.de
*F.l.: Dr. Bruno Niemeyer (Managing Director J. Wagner GmbH, CEO Wagner International AG), Dr. Jens Arnoscht (Chief Technology Officer Industrial Solutions J. Wagner GmbH), Ranga Yogeshwar, Thomas Jeltsch (Chief Technology Officer Decorative Finishing J. Wagner GmbH), Guido Bergman (CEO Decorative Finishing Wagner International AG) - Foto: KD Busch / compamedia
