The race for the coveted Innovation Awards at Automechanika is entering its second round: it has now been decided which companies have been nominated for the awards. The decision was made by the

17-member international jury, which met in Frankfurt on 18 July. A total of
42 applicants have been shortlisted in nine categories.

International experts from the automotive industry from Australia, China, Europe, South Africa, Turkey and North and South America have spent the last few weeks scrutinising and examining the 153 products submitted. Following in-depth discussions, they decided at the jury meeting on 18 July which of the companies would be nominated for their particularly innovative products. The decision was based on the independent expert opinions of consultant Dr Gerhard Angerer and Alexander Wottge, project manager at the Institute of Automotive Economics (ifa - Institut für Automobilwirtschaft).
The criteria used by the assessors and the jury for the evaluation were the innovative performance and excellence of the solution, economic efficiency, user benefits, functionality and ease of use, market potential in the aftersales market, quality, durability and safety as well as sustainability, energy efficiency, climate protection, environmental protection and conservation of resources.

Innovative products and solutions in the areas of workshop equipment and vehicle components and technologies dominate the numerous entries for the Automechanika Innovation Awards. It is clear that digital networking and the use of artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important," says Alexander Wottge. Dr Gerhard Angerer adds: "The applications clearly show a trend towards future topics in the automotive industry. For example, there is a wide range of products relating to the safe maintenance of driver assistance systems and new drive technologies, especially e-mobility. But the sustainable circular economy in the form of remanufacturing, the refurbishment, repair and reuse of used car parts, is also playing an increasingly important role in the submissions."

The winners of the Innovation Awards will only be announced at Automechanika Frankfurt. In a festive awards ceremony on 10 September at 5 p.m. in the Harmonie Hall of the Congress Centre, the selected companies will receive their awards. The awards will be presented in the categories Data & Connectivity, Workshop & Service Solutions, Parts & Technology Solutions, Body & Paint, Car Wash & Care and Commercial Vehicles. Two new categories have been added: AI & Digitalisation and E-Mobility & Innovative Drive Technologies. The jury also honours a particularly sustainable product with the Green Award. The jury decided not to present an award in the Accessories & Customizing category this year.

All nominated products and the winners of the Innovation Awards will be presented in a special show in the Innovation4Mobility area in Hall 3.0 from 11 September.
www.automechanika.com

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