GEZE honoured as one of the most innovative companies in Germany
The Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business once again selected GEZE as one of Germany's top 100 innovative mid-sized companies for 2023. On 23 June 2023, Jörg Willmann, Director Product Management & IKAM, and Patric Schlecht, Director Development at GEZE, received the award from science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar during the German Medium-Sized Business Summit in Augsburg.
GEZE more than defended its position in the current competition. The company continued to show improvement in key assessment criteria. GEZE's rate of innovation for 2023 was 196, six points better than in 2020. The specialist for innovative door, window and safety technology is receiving the award for the tenth time.
Benchmarking against the best companies in Germany
Patric Schlecht (right) and Jörg Willmann (left), accept the award from science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. © KD Busch / compamedia
“Even though we are receiving this award for the tenth time, being named one of Germany's most innovative medium-sized companies is special for us. The evaluation process that we undergo to win the top 100 innovation prize is very detailed and subject to strict criteria. We are also measured against the many major companies who take part in the competition”, says Jörg Willmann. He is responsible for Product Management and International Key Account Management at GEZE. Patric Schlecht, Development Manager at GEZE, adds: “This intensive, regular assessment is also what makes the seal so valuable for us: it gives GEZE a comprehensive, independent analysis of all of the processes and structures that are significant for an innovation-driven company such as ourselves. The assessment is also conducted by external specialists who work according to a catalogue of criteria backed by science.
The cross-industry aspect of the assessment is particularly illuminating for companies that take part regularly: the jury does not evaluate individual innovative products or services, but rather concentrates on corporate and organisational fundamentals and structures that make a creative climate and successful innovation processes possible in the long term.
Jury confirms outstanding innovation processes
The innovation balance sheet prepared for the company by the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Vienna University of Economics and Business under the leadership of Prof. Nikolaus Franke shows that GEZE takes innovation seriously. The differences between GEZE and an “average” medium-sized company are major and significant. GEZE scored well above the average among participating companies in the category of innovative processes and organisation. The purpose of this category is to evaluate how comprehensively companies monitor the market and technology for potential new business ideas (monitoring), how individual stages of the innovation process are managed (innovation management), and what instruments and methods are used to do so (instruments and methods).
We are particularly glad that the jury rated our efforts in market monitoring and screening of new technologies so positively. With these activities, we lay the foundation to ensure we develop innovations that actually address the needs and requirements of our customers, or that give them new possibilities for designing liveable buildings. Our strong position in digital processes is the result of continuous investments to support our innovation strategy.
Jörg Willmann, Director Product Management & IKAM160 years of successful innovation
For 30 years, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal to small and medium-sized enterprises for exceptional innovative capacity and above-average innovation success. With 26 research prizes and over 200 publications, Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke is a leading international researcher in the field of innovation. Project partners include the Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research and the BVMW, the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses. Interest in the competition was particularly high in the anniversary year: 550 medium-sized companies applied.
We are proud to once again be one of the TOP 100 innovators in the medium-sized business segment in the year of our 160th anniversary. The seal is one of the most renowned and important prizes given out to medium-sized companies in Germany, and is proof of our strong innovative capacity. It is a wonderful recognition for our employees, who have been working on our common vision to create the liveable buildings of the future for 160 years.
Marc Philipp Alber, Chief Officer Product Development & Operations at GEZE,Press information
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