With the HERMES AWARD , the most important international industrial award, Deutsche Messe AG honors a company every year whose product or solution has a particularly high level of technological innovation. Only technology solutions that have already been tried and tested in industry are eligible. The award ceremony will take place during the HANNOVER MESSE Digital Edition on 12 April in Hannover. “The HANNOVER MESSE Digital Edition in April 2021 is a virtual industrial show with a broad range of innovations and solutions. We are pleased to again provide our exhibitors with such a comprehensive platform in these difficult pandemic times and set the respective stage for the HERMES AWARD,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG.

Jury chair and Fraunhofer President Professor Neugebauer explained the selection of this year's nominees: “The current conditions and uncertainties due to the ongoing corona pandemic did not reach the HERMES AWARD 2021 . Numerous applications met our criteria of technical degree of innovation; benefits for industry, the environment and society; and economic viability and market-readiness. The projects of the three nominees all stand for dynamic development in mechanical engineering as well as the innovative ability of the high-tech location Germany.”

Bosch Rexroth, Lohr am Main: The nominated project SVA R2 (Subsea-Valve_Actuator) is the world's first electrical actuator for controlling process valves under water. The SVA R2 offers an energy-efficient and safe alternative to the pneumatic actuators previously used in offshore oil and gas production. There are no central unit or kilometers of lines for fluid, which greatly reduces environmental risks. The unit maintains the same dimensions, can be integrated directly on site, increases energy efficiency, and only requires a power supply and a data line.

Phoenix Contact, Blomberg: Phoenix Contact is nominated for NearFi technology, which enables contact-free transmission of energy and data and can replace previous plug connections. Thanks to protocol-independent and latency-free Ethernet communication, it offers flexible application options for all Ethernet protocols up to 100 Mbit/s. Transmission takes place in real time in both directions. The technology enables high reliability with low wear and tear at the same time.

PILZ, Ostfildern: The nominated product myPNOZ is a new type of modular safety switching device that is manufactured in batch size 1. Using an online tool, users can put together their product without any programming knowledge, as the logic of the safety functions is defined by the module selection and the sequence in which they are connected. The product myPNOZ is a ready-to-install and completely individualized system that represents an efficient and safe solution for mechanical and plant engineering and other industries.