Deutsche Messe invites entries for the HERMES AWARD 2024

January 26, 2024 Editor

Deutsche Messe is currently accepting submissions for the HERMES AWARD, recognised globally as a significant award in the industrial sector. The award will be presented by Germany’s Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, at the HANNOVER MESSE opening ceremony on 21 April.

Participants of HANNOVER MESSE have until 21 February to enter this competition. In addition to the HERMES AWARD, entries are also welcomed for the HERMES Startup Award.

For the first time, the independent jury will be led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Under his leadership, the jury will shortlist three products for both the HERMES AWARD and the HERMES Startup AWARD from the entries submitted and then select the winners. The products are evaluated based on their technological innovation, industry, environmental and societal benefits, cost-effectiveness, and implementation readiness.

Annually, Deutsche Messe AG recognises a company with the HERMES AWARD for a product or solution that exemplifies exceptional technological innovation. Only those solutions that have been successfully implemented in industrial practice are eligible. Companies interested in applying can do so here: https://hermes-award.alpha-awards.com/

The HERMES AWARD 2023 was awarded to Bosch Rexroth for its Smart Flex Effector project. This project involves a sensor-based compensation module (end effector) for robots, capable of precise kinematics in six degrees of freedom. It is suitable for automation technology or robotics in handling or joining processes with tight tolerances, supporting loads up to 6kg. Robots equipped with the Smart Flex Effector can detect the position of workpieces or handling objects, making it versatile for various applications, including human-robot collaboration.

The HERMES Startup AWARD 2023 was bestowed upon MantiSpectra from the Netherlands. The award recognised the product, ChipSense, a fully integrated near-infrared sensor and the smallest of its kind in the market with a 1mm2 footprint. This sensor facilitates rapid and highly accurate analysis, delivering real-time data directly from the production line. It enables immediate defect detection and on-the-spot quality control, already finding applications in industry, agriculture, and food processing.