A region full of inventive spirit: 15 companies nominated for the Münsterland Innovation Award

They are strong, digital and smart and all have a chance to win the Münsterland Innovation Award on 5 December: 15 companies from the region have beaten off the competition and have been nominated for the Münsterland Innovation Award. With their ideas, projects and models in the categories "Business", "Science Meets Business", "Digital Business Models" as well as "Start-Up Companies" and "Small and Smart", they convinced the jury in their pre-selection.

"We are particularly pleased about the high number of applicants this year," emphasises Klaus Ehling, board member of Münsterland e.V. "92 applications were received - a significant increase in view of the previous years. This illustrates the high level of acceptance and awareness of the competition. All participating companies are ambassadors for the Münsterland brand and an important pillar for THE GOOD LIFE in the region."

Münsterland e.V. awards the prize every two years to creative and innovative developments from the Münsterland region. It is supported by its sponsors: the savings banks in Münsterland, Westfälische Provinzial Versicherung AG and innogy SE. The decision on the nominees is made by an independent jury of six experts from business and science. The winners will be chosen at a festive award ceremony on 5 December in Emsdetten in the district of Steinfurt and rewarded with prize money of 4000 euros as well as an image/product film produced for their own company.

The nominees (in alphabetical order):

Category "digital business models":
Eucon GmbH from Münster
secova GmbH & Co. KG from Rheine
Tobit Software AG from Ahaus

Category "small and smart":
360° Haare GmbH from Oelde
Haking Metallbau GmbH from Ladbergen
Leak Stop Gun GmbH from Rhede

Category "Start-Up":
clockin GmbH from Münster
PollerMax GmbH from Heek
what a bird from Havixbeck

Category "Business":
Bischof + Klein SE & Co. KG from Lengerich
Hengst SE from Münster
H. Klostermann GmbH & Co. KG from Coesfeld

Science meets business" category:
Beermann Umwelttechnik GmbH from Hörstel-Riesenbeck
EMPAC GmbH from Emsdetten
Jüke Systemtechnik GmbH from Altenberge

"Our region is full of innovative and creative power. As the savings banks in Münsterland, we want to honour this special achievement of entrepreneurs and their employees with the Innovation Award. At the same time, we want to help ensure that this strength of the Münsterland region is widely recognised in the competition between regions," says Markus Schabel, Chairman of the Board of the Sparkasse Münsterland Ost, on behalf of the Münsterland savings banks.

In this context, the Innovation Award is a great opportunity for the companies, as Dr. Wolfgang Breuer, Chairman of the Board of Provinzial, emphasises: "The competition is a nice confirmation of their work for the winners as well as for the nominees and opens up the possibility for them to present their innovation to a broad public and thus gain even more attention and appreciation."

Rolf Berlemann, authorised signatory of innogy, adds: "The competition is an incentive to think ahead and give free rein to one's own inventive spirit - in line with this year's competition motto 'Higher. Further. Think. It makes it clear how many clever minds there are in Münsterland who are making the region fit for the future."

The jury:

Dr. sc. nat. Dr. h. c. mult. Johannes Georg Bednorz
IBM Research Zurich
Nobel Prize winner for Physics 1987

Dr. Fritz Jaeckel
Chief Executive of the North Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce

Prof. Dr. Bernd Kriegesmann
President of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Ute von Lojewski
President of Münster University of Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Monika Stoll
Vice-Rector of the Westphalian Wilhelms University Münster

Hans Hund
President of the Chamber of Crafts Münster

For further information, please contact Claudia Scherl, telephone 02571/ 94 93 03.

www.innovationspreis-muensterland.de