Eight companies receive Innovation Award 2022 at Automechanika Frankfurt

The winners of the Innovation Awards were chosen from a total of 133 candidates. The products and solutions submitted were evaluated by an international panel of 14 experts.

Eight companies received the coveted Innovation Awards 2022 at a ceremony held recently at the Automechanika Frankfurt 2022 trade fair organised in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition to these eight awards, a Green Award was given to the product judged to be especially sustainable.

The winners of the Innovation Awards were chosen from a total of 133 candidates. The products and solutions submitted were evaluated by an international panel of 14 experts. They examined various criteria, including the degree of innovation, cost effectiveness, user-friendliness, functionality, relevance to the aftermarket, safety and quality, as well as contributions to environmental protection and sustainability.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Mr Stephan Kurzawski, Senior Vice-President of Messe Frankfurt, said: “Innovations are the focal point of Automechanika. More than 2,800 exhibitors presented their latest products and services – many of which are world firsts. In recent years, new products and smart solutions have been developed at a staggering rate. This once again highlights the wealth of innovation on offer in the international automotive aftermarket.”

This year’s award-winning products revealed a clear focus on digitalisation, new mobility and sustainability. Winners included smart solutions for workshops and automotive technology, including an app that allows spare parts to be found and ordered quickly and reliably, online-supported systems for damage diagnostics, and a Bluetooth colour scanner that can identify colours and use a datable to supply the correct formula for matching paint in a matter of seconds. A recovery system for damaged e-cars, a rapid charging station with a maximum output power of 240 kW, and a system for reducing braking torque were also among the award winners.

This was the third time that the panel presented the Green Award to honour the most ecologically sustainable innovation among the submitted products. This year’s Green Award went to GelKoh for ‘LiBa Rescue’, a recovery system for e-cars that helps to conserve resources. This innovation also won the Innovation Award in the Workshop & Service Solutions category.

The winners of the Innovations Award 2022 included Autel Europe that won the award in the E-mobility category for its MaxiCharger DC Fast. In the Data & Connectivity category, Herth+Buss Car Parts won the award for its Herth+Buss product detector app that makes it possible to quickly and easily identify the spare part being sought. In the Workshop & Service Solutions category, GelKoh GmbH won the award for its LiBa Rescue which is an innovative recovery system for electric vehicles.

In the Parts & Technology Solutions category, Knorr-Bremse Systeme für Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH won the award for its braking torque reduction system. The system helps to reduce CO2 emissions, lowers fuel consumption, and lessens the level of fine particulates by lowering brake pad wear. Celette France S.A.S. won the award in the Body & Paint category for its Eagle – a electronic car body measurement system. Similarly, Lederzentrum GmbH won the award in the Car Wash & Care category for its ColourScannerPRO which is a novel new type of mobile digital tool that is able to quickly and affordably determine the colour of leather for leather repairs.

In the Accessories & Customizing category, Dropracks AS won the award for Dropracks which is an innovative roof rack system for cars. In the Commercial Vehicles category, ZF Friedrichshafen AG won the award for its ZF aftermarket turning assistance system CV retrofit solution.