This years winners of the 8th Annual Heraeus Innovation Awards are:

Product Innovations Catagory
Dr. Martin Trommer, Head of Development, Heraeus Quarzglas, Bitterfeld, won first place for developing fluorine-doped quartz glass tubes, which enable highly bendable quartz glass fiber (above) to be produced extremely efficiently. The fibers can be tied in knots without light being attenuated.

Second place went to Dr. Sebastian Vogt, Research & Development, Heraeus Medical, Wehrheim, for a new ready-to-use cementing system for an innovative bone cement used in joint endoprostheses (hip and knee joints).The new cement is paste-like and can be applied directly to the implant site in a patient’s hip or knee with a specially-prepared cementing gun. Previously, bone cement came powdered and had to be combined with a liquid in a vacuum system, then mixed to form a homogeneous paste.

Dr. Stefan Vorberg, Heraeus Materials Technology, Wehrheim, took third place for a new generation of highly active wafers made from platinum-rhodium alloys for nitric acid production for the fertilizer industry.

Best Process Innovation
Alan Mundy, Heraeus Quartz UK Ltd., Wallsend, England, took the prize in a new category honoring process innovations. He managed a successful technology transfer that will enable Heraeus to produce more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly high-purity synthetic silica glass, while simultaneously conserving resources.

(From the left): Jan Rinnert (Vice Chairman, Heraeus Holding Board of Management), Dr. Stefan Vorberg ( 3rd place products, Heraeus Materials Technology), Dr. Martin Trommer (1st place products, Heraeus Quarzglas), Alan Mundy (best process innovation, Heraeus Quartz UK Ltd.), Dr. Sebastian Vogt (2nd place products, Heraeus Medical), Dr. Frank Heinricht (Chairman, Heraeus Holding Board of Management).

• Heraeus Holding, Hanau, Germany