Heinz Dürr posthumously awarded the Rudolf Diesel Medal

The German Institute for Inventions (D.I.E.) honors the innovative achievements of the Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dürr AG, who died in November at the age of 90, by awarding him the Rudolf Diesel Medal. Heinz Dürr's daughter Karoline and his grandson Camilo accepted the award on his behalf on Thursday evening in Augsburg. The D.I.E. Board of Trustees selected Heinz Dürr as the winner in the "Most Successful Innovation Achievement" category. It particularly highlighted the development of electrophoretic dip coating for the automotive industry, which was driven forward in the 1960s. At the same time, the Board of Trustees recognized the passionate spirit of innovation that Heinz Dürr has embedded in the culture of his company. It said: "Heinz Dürr made important contributions to the development of technologies and processes that not only increased efficiency in production, but also promoted environmental protection. His company plays a key role in the development and implementation of automated manufacturing processes in various industries." The laudatory speech for Heinz Dürr was held by the entrepreneur and founder of the software company GFT Technologies, Ulrich Dietz. At the ceremony, Camilo Dürr recalled Heinz Dürr's first patent from 1960 and said: "My grandfather would have been delighted to receive this honor. Unfortunately, he is missing today. Innovation was important to him because it forms the basis for a company's technological leadership." Camilo Dürr quoted Heinz Dürr as saying: "A company has the task of manufacturing products that society needs. Innovation must focus on this. A lot is technically possible, but not everything is relevant. Practical innovation must therefore have priority."

Heinz Dürr used to spur his employees on in their pursuit of innovation with three legendary words: "People, stay curious!". As an entrepreneur, he knew that he had to give technicians and engineers freedom and support. In an interview in 2020, he said: "Innovation doesn't happen at the touch of a button and can't be prescribed. You need employees with good ideas. And you have to encourage and support these employees." For this reason, he also launched the Heinz Dürr Award in 2001, with which the Dürr Group recognizes special ideas from employees every year. Heinz Dürr was committed to the family business founded by his grandfather over a period of 70 years. Most recently, he was Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dürr AG. The entrepreneur has been known throughout Germany since the 1970s, initially as chief negotiator for the metalworking employers in Baden-Württemberg and later as head of AEG and Deutsche Bahn. His family is an anchor shareholder of the mechanical and plant engineering company Dürr and holds 29.7% of the voting rights. The Rudolf Diesel Medal has been awarded since 1953 and is the oldest innovation prize in Europe. Candidates are nominated by a technical and scientific advisory board. Unlike other innovation prizes, which are usually associated with fees, it is not possible to apply for the award. The winners are selected by the Rudolf Diesel Board of Trustees, which is made up of around 60 technology directors and managing directors from world market-leading companies in Germany.