The winners of the Esslingen district innovation prize have been announced: first prize goes to the company “ProteinDistillery GmbH” from Ostfildern, second prize to “ECO Water Solution GmbH” from Kirchheim unter Teck. Third prize was shared by LogBATT from Plochingen and the company “ARIS GmbH” from Wernau.
This year was the eleventh time that the innovation prize has been awarded by the Esslingen district economic development agency. “Our business location thrives on innovation. This is particularly true in the current situation, in which the economic outlook is becoming significantly gloomier. I am therefore all the more pleased that so many companies submitted competition entries that demonstrate entrepreneurial ingenuity, pioneering spirit and courage,” said District Administrator Heinz Eininger at the award ceremony in the “Kronensaal” of the Kreissparkasse Esslingen-Nürtingen in Esslingen.
More than 20 companies had applied for the innovation prize this time. The competition entries with exemplary achievements in the development of new products, processes and services as well as innovative retail concepts did not make the decision easy for the Innovation Committee. The committee is made up of representatives from leading companies in the Esslingen district, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the District Craftsmen’s Association, the Esslingen District Economic Development Agency and the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Agency, as well as professors from Esslingen and Nürtingen universities. These initiators were once again able to award a total of 30,000 euros in prize money.
The keynote speaker at the award ceremony was Professor Wilhelm Bauer, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO). In his presentation, he explained how the future can be shaped with innovations despite a shortage of skilled workers and exploding costs.
The award-winning companies
1st prize (12,000 euros): ProteinDistillery GmbH from Ostfildern. The company was recognized for the development of an innovative process in which biomass from industrial by-products, e.g. brewer’s yeast, is converted into highly functional proteins for use in the food market.
2nd prize (8,000 euros): ECO Water Solution GmbH from Kirchheim unter Teck. The company has developed a small wastewater treatment plant for water reuse that is unique in the world in the field of decentralized wastewater treatment.
3rd prize (5,000 euros each): LogBATT GmbH has developed a secure storage container for all areas of the high-voltage storage value chain. ARIS GmbH from Wernau and LogBATT GmbH from Plochingen. ARIS GmbH scored points with the development of a weather forecast-based cistern control system for property-related rainwater management,
What makes LogBATT’s award-winning product stand out?
Based on the successful LogBATT SafetyBATTboxes as a transport variant, we have responded to the great demand and developed a solution for the storage, evacuation and quarantine area for large high-voltage storage systems, primarily from the automotive and heavy vehicle sector, with all the safety features of the successful transport systems. The containment for the storage of small to large lithium batteries is manufactured in Plochingen in the company’s own development department using a CAD system. Once the necessary parts have been received, the elements are manufactured in the factory in the same building by six employees.
The box is made of stainless steel with partially powder-coated surfaces. The average box is characterized by a high-quality filter system that can absorb 93% of fluorine hydrogen, for example. The high-quality gas management system filters out other toxic and explosive gases that can occur during a thermal runaway. For dealers, factories and manufacturers, the costs for fire protection are reduced by a large proportion.
- External dimensions: 3,196 x 2,298 x 1,237 mm
- Internal dimensions: 2,990 x 2,114 x 776 mm
- Empty weight: 1,150 kg
- Housing: stainless steel, powder-coated
- Max. Payload: 1,050 kg
What are the advantages of the LogBATT Safety BATTbox?
The safety box can be used for cells, modules, storage batteries, PHEV and BEV high-voltage storage systems. The projectiles and the fire remain in the box in the event of a fire. No extinguishing water is required. The box can be used flexibly for production, workshops, trade, authorities, institutes, research facilities, factories, etc. The box can be used both indoors and outdoors and is rustproof and weatherproof. The box can be operated by one person and is also divisible. The transport box is currently being purchased by major OEMs worldwide. A further development of the LogBATT storage family is already on the market. Our goal and our vision is to be the market leader in this special area of developing and manufacturing transport and storage boxes for the defective to critical area of lithium-ion batteries.