Inside the Jury Session of the German Innovation Awards 2026
The German Innovation Awards understand innovation as an effective, relevant and implemented solution. They honour projects that address concrete challenges, clearly differentiate themselves from existing approaches and have already proven their practical viability. What matters is the convincing interplay of user focus, sustainability, economic viability, technical maturity and future readiness.
The interdisciplinary and equally represented jury brings together experts from industry, research, healthcare, technology and brand management, including representatives from Roche, Adobe, BLANCO and the Fraunhofer-Institut. This diversity of perspectives enables a well-founded and balanced evaluation of the submissions from a total of 23 countries.
Trends and Tendencies of the Competition Year
The submissions reflect key future themes: healthcare, AI-supported automation, sustainable energy and CO₂ solutions, and resilient infrastructures.
In the B2B sector, the optimisation of processes and systems dominated, often supported by artificial intelligence. Dr Christopher Stillings, Director Global Strategy and Innovation Healthcare at RENOLIT, commented:
“One of the major challenges of our interconnected world is also reflected in the B2B submissions: the supply chain and its processes. This raises key questions around sustainability and material flows, as well as robotics, logistics and efficiency. What is required is consistently networked process thinking.”
In the B2C context, low-threshold, intuitive solutions were particularly compelling. Isabelle Gola, Global Head of Sustainability at Bosch Power Tools, observed a clear trend: “In the B2C discipline, a distinct ‘back-to-the-roots’ trend was evident. Innovation is not always about technology; it is a response to societal needs that improves everyday life, the environment and quality of life.”
“Alongside high-tech solutions, low-tech products play an important role. Even simple innovations that, for example, make energy consumption visible can trigger a shift in mindset across society in an accessible way.”
– added Marcel Moritz, Global Head of Design & Innovation at BLANCO
Authenticity and Strategic Anchoring
Alongside technological excellence, social responsibility, inclusion and a clear strategic integration of innovation within the company came into sharper focus. The discussions demonstrated that innovation does not have to be complex – what counts is substance, credibility and a deep understanding of the needs of target groups.
The projects selected for an award will be announced on 12 May 2026 at the Awards Ceremony in Berlin. There, the winners will take centre stage – and the German Innovation Awards will once again set a strong example for innovations that make a real impact.
