2026 Heinz Dürr Awards Presented - Employee Innovations
The Dürr Group presents the Heinz Dürr Award to recognize particularly innovative, customer-focused, or sustainable contributions made by its employees. The awards have now been presented to representatives of the five winning teams.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Alexandra Dürr and Karoline Dürr, daughters of the award’s founder Heinz Dürr, presented the long-standing award to the winners during an international management conference. Three teams were honored in the Innovation category. The “Paint Shop of the Future” team impressed the jury with its concept for a highly flexible and efficient paint shop. Another Dürr team was recognized for its innovative battery cell filling system. The liquid required in battery cells is explosive and toxic, which makes the filling process complex. With the machine developed, battery cells can now be filled quickly and safely. In addition, a team of employees from the Group subsidiary Homag was honored for its software platform.
Heinz Dürr Awards for Employee Teams
In the Sustainability category, a Dürr team won for the further development of the EcoSupply P special paint supply system. During painting, this system drastically reduces paint loss, the need for rinsing agents, and cleaning times. This not only saves costs but also protects the environment. In the third category, Customer Experience, another Homag team impressed the judges. In May 2025, its members designed an innovation area spanning over 400 square meters at Ligna. Dr. Lars Friedrich, Head of the Automotive Division, co-hosted the awards ceremony with Dr. Daniel Schmitt, Head of the Woodworking Division. Each winning team received prize money of 7,500 euros.
Contact details and information on the companies and institutions presented here can be found in our interactive surface technology industry directory.