Rittal has been named one of Germany’s 100 most innovative mid-size businesses via an independent selection process. The Top 100 accolade reflects the quality of innovation management and the pioneering products of the world’s leading manufacturer of industrial enclosures and IT infrastructure. Top 100 is regarded as Germany’s most prestigious accolade for mid-size players. Science journalist and mentor Ranga Yogeshwar honored Rittal at the awards ceremony held as part of the 7th German Mittelstands-Summit in Frankfurt am Main on June 24th.
Rittal has been named a Top 100 company in recognition of its pioneering approach to solutions for panel building and switchgear manufacture. The family-owned business, headquartered in Herborn, in the State of Hesse, has therefore been included on an exclusive list of Germany’s 100 most innovative enterprises. The Top 100 competition is based on a scientific selection process where entrants are rated according to more than 100 criteria in five categories: The promotion of innovation by senior management; a climate of innovation; innovative processes and organisation; real-world focus; and innovation success.
Rittal was selected from a total of more than 400 mid-size entrants. It was rated especially highly for its innovation processes and the corresponding steps taken by the executive management. “We are very grateful for the Top 100 accolade; it is proof positive of our ability to innovate,” says Markus Asch, CEO Rittal International and Chairman of the Management Board. “Our overriding priority is to provide our customers with end-to-end solutions, in particular in support of their digital transformation efforts. Ongoing innovation is key to these goals.”
It is a strength that Rittal displays in collaboration with its sister companies Eplan and German Edge Cloud. The focus is on creating fully digital value chains for the manufacturing and IT industries. Rittal and Eplan work hand in hand to transform customers’ core value-creating processes in panel building and switchgear manufacture – from design and engineering, to production, to operation. By ensuring the availability and use of data for all key elements, including software, manufacturing equipment and other systems, it is possible to markedly increase efficiency – for example, by enabling cables to be processed eight times faster. German Edge Cloud also works to raise the efficiency and speed of manufacturing processes – i.e. in businesses where controls and switchgear are commonly deployed, such as the automotive industry. The Friedhelm Loh Group start-up offers industrial edge-cloud solutions that considerably enhance highly automated manufacturing processes.
A prime example is Rittal’s plant in Haiger, in the State of Hess. This is a highly advanced plant for the manufacture of compact and small enclosures. It boasts Industry 4.0 technologies that enable extremely efficient production, logistics and communications processes. More than 250 high-tech machines and components with state-of-the-art connectivity are the basis for the daily automated manufacture of up to 8,000 compact and small enclosures. To this end, German Edge Cloud developed a Virtual Factory to guarantee seamless, transparent production processes. It is a coherent combination of analytics, alerts and live dashboards that turns data into actionable insights.
Recognition for pioneering businesses
compamedia launched the Top 100 award in 1993 to raise awareness of mid-size companies with exceptional innovation capabilities and achievements. Project partners include Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the German Association of SMEs (BVMW). He is a leading innovation researcher, as well as founder and director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Project partners include Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the German Association of SMEs (BVMW). High-profile science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar has acted as a mentor to the competition for eleven years.