HERMES AWARD 2025: Jury Nominates Three Tech Innovations

Summary

HANNOVER - Feb. 24, 2025 - An independent jury comprised of high-caliber experts from the spheres of politics, business, research and the media has nominated three companies for the HERMES AWARD from among the numerous submissions: igus, Schaeffler and Siemens (listed in alphabetical order).

The winner will be announced at the opening ceremony of HANNOVER MESSE on March 30, 2025. Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister of Education and Research, will present the award.

The HERMES AWARD figures among the world's most prestigious industrial prizes, and is presented annually at HANNOVER MESSE for an outstanding innovation. The award honors products and solutions exhibiting a particularly high degree of technological innovation. Marketability and cost-effectiveness are further criteria that play a significant role in the awarding of the prize.

Jury chairman and President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Prof. Holger Hanselka, said: "Innovations have never been more important than they are today, as they provide the basis for solving the defining challenges of our time. In this sense, the numerous exceptional submissions for the HERMES AWARD give me reason for optimism about the future. This year, the jury once again faced the demanding task of selecting just three finalists from a pool of outstanding entries. The three chosen projects vividly demonstrate how emerging technologies help overcome real-world challenges and how innovations become a tangible competitive advantage."

Igus, Cologne: The nominated product, Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO), is an innovation in the shoreside power supply of ports. The system delivers a mobile and flexible solution by precisely positioning power outlets for ships along a berth, reaching distances of up to 400 meters exactly where needed. The power cables are routed in a roller-supported energy conduit specially engineered for long distances and heavy loads. This protects the cables from wear and tear and prevents tripping hazards. The system has both ecological and economic advantages: the fact that no diesel generators need to be used means that emissions of harmful substances are reduced at the ports. At the same time, the durable and low-maintenance system helps to reduce operating costs and maximize economic benefits for port operators.

Schaeffler, Herzogenaurach: The newly developed XZU rolling bearing earned its nomination. The innovation is a double-row oblique roller bearing designed with the same connection dimensions as standard cross-roller bearings available on the market, making it a seamless, one-to-one replacement. The arrangement of very small, cylindrical roller-like rolling elements in a double-row configuration means that the bearing increases tilt stiffness by 30%, reduces friction resistance by 20% and improves raceway accuracy by 40%. These advancements directly enhance the efficiency, productivity and thus also energy consumption per component. The market offers a wide range of applications for this new rolling bearing. This innovation is particularly valuable in fields such as robotics, assembly automation and machine tools.

Siemens, Munich: The nominated solution involves AI-supported "Industrial Copilots" that increase the efficiency of the workforce by eliminating repetitive tasks and boosting productivity. The Industrial Copilot for Siemens' TIA Portal engineering framework–used by over 120,000 professionals worldwide–enables, for example, engineers of all experience levels to write precise, reliable code significantly faster. Siemens offers an industrial-grade suite of Industrial Copilots that comprehensively covers the industrial value chain–from design and planning right through to engineering, operations and service. This solution enables access to generative AI for a great many companies. Both cloud and on-premises versions are available, working locally on the shop floor to meet diverse requirements.

About HANNOVER MESSE

HANNOVER MESSE is the world's leading trade fair for industry. Around 4000 companies from the engineering, electrical and digital industries, as well as the energy sector, come together under the main theme of "Industrial Transformation" to present solutions for production and energy supply, today and tomorrow. The main exhibiting areas for 2025 will be Smart Manufacturing, Digital Ecosystems, Energy for Industry, Compressed Air & Vacuum Technology, Engineered Parts & Solutions, Future Hub and International Trade & Investment. A conference program with around 1,600 speakers complements the program. This trade fair will be held next in Hanover from March 31 to April 4, 2025. The partner country is Canada.