The third North Rhine-Westphalia Craftsmanship Innovation Award ceremony took place in Solingen on 1 December 2023. Minister Mona Neubaur presented Mark and Stephan Berendsen from Bear-Machines GmbH with the prize, which is endowed with €10,000. A total of three craft businesses from Heek, Havixbeck and Ahaus were honoured with the 2023 Innovation Award for Craftsmanship for their outstanding contribution to greater resource efficiency, energy savings and sustainability.
Bear-Machines was honoured in the category for companies with fewer than ten employees, Zauberzeug GmbH in the category for companies with at least ten employees, and the Verweyen bakery with the special prize for innovations in the areas of energy saving and climate protection.
“Innovation is the key to change and to shaping transformation. It ensures a strong, adaptable, modern and therefore resilient economy. Innovation policy means that the state sets the right framework conditions on the one hand and creates incentives for innovation activities on the other. In North Rhine-Westphalia, we focus on the practical application of innovation. We find the enablers for this in our craft businesses. They put resource efficiency and sustainability into practice. With their wealth of ideas, expertise and great commitment, the winners of the 2023 Craft Innovation Award from Heek, Havixbeck and Ahaus have succeeded in strengthening their own competitiveness and making a concrete contribution to climate protection. This makes them role models for other businesses in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond,” said Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Mona Neubaur.
The North Rhine-Westphalia Craft Trade Innovation Award is sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
