Jena, November 17, 2023 – Awards for outstanding collaborations between companies and research institutions from Baden-Württemberg and Thuringia. The Lothar Späth Awards were presented against the radiant backdrop of the Jena Planetarium, under the sign of scientific and economic excellence. That night a special star shone in the innovation sky: ICODOS GmbH from Mannheim, which won one of the famous third prizes with its innovative technology.
The awards, which recognize outstanding collaborations between companies and research institutions from Baden-Württemberg or Thuringia, attracted an impressive gathering of more than 120 guests. Among them were prize winners, jury members, representatives of Lothar Späth’s family and well-known personalities from the world of research and business. “The innovations presented are impressive and attest to extremely fruitful partnerships between business, science and research,” Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) praised the winners. A versatile liquid from environmentally harmful exhaust gases.
ICODOS, in cooperation with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has developed a revolutionary technology that marks a turning point in sustainable transport and chemical production. “Our process uses environmentally harmful exhaust gases together with renewable electricity to produce versatile and sustainable liquid methanol,” explains CEO David Strittmatter. The patented combination of CO2 capture and methanol synthesis significantly reduces investment and operating costs and thus ensures the availability of sustainable methanol in the future.
Martin Herrenknecht, president of the jury and one of the main promoters of the award, highlighted the importance of the innovations of this year’s winners and recognized their contribution to the fruitful collaboration between business, science and research. ICODOS is now in line with some of Germany’s leading innovators and is setting a shining example for the future. “This recognition is a testament to our hard work and commitment to driving innovation,” said David Strittmatter. “A particularly big thank you to KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology).”
5 winners were honored: The first prize was awarded to Resuscitec GmbH in collaboration with the University Hospital Freiburg for its innovation in emergency medical care. Polytives GmbH received second prize for its innovative polymer additives. In addition to these outstanding achievements, Kompass GmbH from Ilmenau and Formic Transportsysteme GmbH from Karlsruhe also won one of the coveted third places, both in cooperation with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The five winning companies demonstrate the potential for fruitful collaborations in business and science. After 2018 and 2021, the Lothar Späth Prize was awarded for the third time and was held in Thuringia for the first time. The Lothar Späth Prize Foundation, which offers this award in Baden-Württemberg and Thuringia, honors the work, innovative achievements and extraordinary personality of Lothar Späth in business, politics and society.
Press Contact
David Strittmatter, ICODOS
Email: david.strittmatter@icodos.com
