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“There is inventive talent all over Bavaria“

From high-tech medicine to coffee capsules: President of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office congratulates the winners of the 2020 Bavarian Innovation Prize (Innovationspreis Bayern)

Press release of 23 November 2020

Munich. Life-saving medical technology in a pandemic, ancillary technology for 3D printing, environmentally friendly coffee capsules: The President of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), Cornelia Rudloff-Schäffer, has congratulated the winners of the 2020 Bavarian Innovation Prize ( Innovationspreis Bayern). “The range of intelligent technical solutions is impressive,” said the DPMA President. “The prize winners show that, in Bavaria, innovative and marketable products are developed not only by big corporations in Munich, but also by many SMEs in all regions of Bavaria. There is creativity and inventive talent all over Bavaria.”

Congratulations to main prize winner ADVITOS GmbH

The DPMA President, who is a member of the selection committee, has recognised especially Munich medical technology company ADVITOS GmbH as the winner of the main prize: “The threat from a new virus shows us how much we depend on effective and dynamic innovation, especially when it comes to medicine. With its new technology for combined organ support, ADVITOS GmbH offers completely new possibilities in intensive care that can apparently help us fight COVID-19.” If patients in intensive care die, the cause of death is often multiple organ failure. Therefore, ADVITOS GmbH has developed a multi-organ support system that combines four therapy approaches in one device: Liver, kidney and lung support and extracorporeal blood pH correction through direct acid manipulation. Compared to previous approaches that support organs individually, the new approach offers the possibility to support all organs with one device and thus to better reflect the links between them.

According to the company, first clinical studies show an improvement of patients’ chances of survival by 35% to 50%. Currently, the device is also used to treat COVID-19 patients – obviously with promising results.

Prizes in four additional categories

Apart from the main prize, companies were honoured in four other categories at the 2020 Bavarian Innovation Prize award. This year’s “Companies with up to 50 employees” winner is Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH from Stadtbergen (district of Augsburg). The company has developed a technology for powder removal and recuperation after the production of components in 3D printers. Removing powder that is produced from printing is complex and can be hazardous to health. The Solukon process does not remove powder from components manually by means of extraction, tapping or blowing, but by programmable automated pivoting. Thus, the collected powder can largely be reused.

In the “Start-ups up to 5 years of age” category, the selection committee panel has mentioned Munich presize UG. The start-up intends to solve the problem that tons of articles of clothing bought on the internet are sent back because they have been ordered in the wrong size. The company has developed a body scan technology. Based on a seven-second smartphone video purchasers shoot of themselves, the online tool can generate a 3D avatar and thus find out the correct size.

Ranking first in the “Business-science cooperation” category was Stabilo International GmbH from Heroldsberg (district of Erlangen-Höchstadt) with its “EduPen”, an intelligent ballpoint pen that measures pressure, speed, rhythm and readability while being used. In combination with an app, the system evaluates a child’s handwriting and makes suggestions for improvement.

This year’s Special Prize of the Selection Committee goes to Müller Mechanik GmbH & Co. KG from Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia. The company has developed a recyclable coffee capsule that is easy to clean. The aim is to avoid waste caused by the use of capsule coffee machines in the future.

The Bavarian Innovation Prize is awarded for excellent innovations every two years by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Federation of Bavarian Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Bayerischer Industrie- und Handelskammertag) and the Federation of Bavarian Chambers of Crafts (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der bayerischen Handwerkskammern). At the time the application for their nomination for the award is submitted, the nominated products, processes or services should not have been on the market for more than four years.

The German Patent and Trade Mark Office

Inventiveness and creativity need effective protection. The DPMA is the German centre of expertise for all intellectual property rights – patents, utility models, trade marks and designs. As the largest national patent office in Europe and the fifth largest national patent office in the world, our office stands for the future of Germany as a country of inventors in a globalised economy. Its staff of just under 2,800 at three locations – Munich, Jena and Berlin – provide services for inventors and companies. They implement federal innovation strategies and develop the national, European and international IP systems further.

Last updated: 5 November 2024