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TOP 100 award as the most innovative SME

Herzebrock-Clarholz, 30. Juni 2018.

With its outstanding innovative potential and cross-company innovation management regime, STEINEL left no margin of doubt in this year's Germany-wide TOP 100 business competition. The technology and innovation leader in sensor-based lighting control systems and heat tools took the edge over contestants in a tough, scientifically independent benchmarking challenge. At the 5th German SME Summit on 29 June 2018, STEINEL received the TOP 100 award from Ranga Yogeshwar, TV journalist and competition mentor, and Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke from the organiser, compamedia.

The TOP 100 accolade rewards STEINEL's persistent ingenuity. Its success story began in 1987 with the development of the motion detector and the world's first sensor light – two products that have truly revolutionised the world of lighting. Defined by the inventive genius of company founder Heinrich Wolfgang Steinel, father of the current owner and Managing Director Ingo Steinel, over 300 patents, utility models and designs have been registered for STEINEL inventions since the company was founded, resulting in more than 2500 products. This makes it easy to understand why "We are inventors" is the guiding principle at STEINEL.

"We really are inventors through and through, and are convinced that innovation is always possible, whatever the product and whatever the process. Developing products that are truly outstanding is our passion, and we are now immensely proud to receive the TOP 100 award for our work," says Thomas Möller, Head of Innovation Management at STEINEL. "For us, it has always been and will always be important to be open to new ideas, opinions and suggestions from customers, staff and partners. This communication and dialogue is a major key to being successful in everything we do. But every individual at STEINEL can and should be an inventor, regardless of activity or position," Möller continues. "We believe in innovation as being the absolute bedrock of our lasting success. This is why it is an integral part of our company."

The competition

TOP 100 is the only innovation competition in Germany to award small and medium-sized companies for their innovation management and innovation success. The contest is based on an all-embracing and scientifically founded examination of the innovation process.

In this year's 25th round of the TOP 100 competition, the scientific management sifted through 471 applications from small and medium-sized companies on behalf of compamedia. Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke, scientific director of TOP 100 and head of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Vienna University of Economics and Business, and his team defined around 100 parameters as test criteria, breaking them down into the judging categories of "Innovative Processes and Organisation", "Innovation Climate" (inclusion of staff), "Innovation-Promoting Top Management", "Outdoor Orientation/Open Innovation" and "Innovation Success". 288 companies were successful, this year receiving the TOP 100 seal in three size categories.