»Only those enterprises that permanently improve their products and services have a lasting chance of success. This is exactly the goal we support our clients with. So I am very pleased about this award because it shows that our customers value us as partners and, at the same time, that we are able to generate important innovation impulses ourselves,« says Prof. Matthias Petzold, Acting Head of the Fraunhofer IMWS.

The Institute's 330 or so employees work for industrial clients from fields such as microelectronics, plastics technology, photovoltaics, the chemical industry, energy technology, automotive engineering, and aircraft construction. In joint projects, they develop solutions primarily aimed at improving material efficiency. The special strength of the experts from Halle is to analyze materials and their application performance down to the micro and nano level. Based on this knowledge, the reliability, safety, durability, and functionality of materials can be enhanced down to the smallest detail. In addition, new materials with previously unattained properties and a precisely tailored performance can be developed for specific applications.

A total of 442 companies and research institutions, distributed across 20 sectors, are included in the »Germany's most innovative companies of 2020« ranking. Three of these are based in Saxony-Anhalt, with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft represented by a total of eleven institutes and establishments. The list is based on online surveys of more than 3000 industry and innovation experts, including leading representatives of companies that have received awards for innovation. The award recognizes companies that were recommended by these experts with above-average frequency in their sector. The Fraunhofer IMWS and the Fraunhofer CSP were placed in the category »Energy and Environment.«