ebm-papst impresses with its innovative strength and is an excellent Top Innovator 2021

Dr. Stephan Arnold, Group Executive Director for Research and Development / Purchasing at ebm-papst, is pleased about the company's recognition as a Top Innovator 2021.

The fan and motor manufacturer ebm-papst impresses in the TOP100 innovation competition and receives the award for its innovative strength.

Innovation and progress are firmly embedded guiding principles in the corporate culture of the fan and motor manufacturer ebm-papst, based in Mulfingen. The award of the TOP 100 2021 underscores this. It honors particularly innovative medium-sized companies — and this is the 28th time. Previously, ebm-papst demonstrated its innovative strength in a scientific selection process.

In the innovation competition TOP 100, innovation researchers examined the company from Baden-Württemberg. The researchers based their assessment on around 120 criteria across five categories: top management promoting innovation, innovation climate, innovative processes and organization, external orientation/open innovation, and innovation success. At its core, it questions whether innovations are the result of planned approaches or a product of chance, i.e., the reproducibility of innovation achievements. And whether and how these solutions succeed in the market. Due to the current situation, there was also a special section in this round, examining the entrepreneurial response to the COVID-19 crisis. ebm-papst has already been recognized multiple times as a positive example for its early and comprehensive COVID-19 management.

"In addition to competitiveness, the future viability of a company also plays a crucial role. With the introduction of our new technology and innovation management, called TIM, every employee can contribute new ideas and help shape the company's future," explains Dr. Stephan Arnold, Group Managing Director for Research and Development / Purchasing at ebm-papst. "Involving everyone enables us to have a transparent and far-reaching view beyond the horizon and promotes new innovations and product solutions."

Besides the implementation of a comprehensive and continuous innovation process, a steadily more efficient product portfolio also plays a major role. ebm-papst's technological leadership is evident, for example, in its patent portfolio, which, according to the data analysis company Patent Sight, has been growing for years and exhibits an above-average quality. In the past fiscal year, the company invested around 110 million euros in research and development.

Furthermore, ebm-papst also focuses on the topic of digitalization and the innovation opportunities it offers. For example, within its startup ebm-papst neo GmbH & Co. KG, which started in fall 2017 as a think tank, and whose current focus is on developing, supporting, and bringing to market data-driven solutions and new business models. These are used, for instance, in monitoring air quality in buildings. ebm-papst neo is based in the Dortmund Technology Center.

On November 26, all winners of the current TOP 100 cohort will gather to receive congratulations from Ranga Yogeshwar at the 7th German SME Summit in Ludwigsburg. The science journalist has been mentoring the innovation competition for ten years.