Jun 22 2007
The SGL Group – The Carbon Company – will receive the “Top 100” prize this evening at a ceremony in Stuttgart and therefore ranks among the 100 most innovative German companies, according to this year’s “Top 100” comparison of companies in Germany. In total, 280 companies applied for the “Top 100”. As part of this economic initiative, outstanding innovative management in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) companies has already been determined for 2007, for the 15th time. The mentor of the Top 100 event, Lothar Späth, the former Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, will award the coveted seal of approval to the company based in Wiesbaden at a ceremony in the Phönixhalle in Stuttgart this evening. Members of the Jury include e.g. Prof. Roland Berger, Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, Prof. Luigi Colani, Prof. Fredmund Malik, Prof. August-Wilhelm Scheer and Prof. Tom Sommerlatte.
The Top 100 cross-industry comparative survey of companies in Germany which takes place annually measures the innovative strength of SME companies and identifies the one hundred most innovative companies. Five areas are reviewed and evaluated: innovative success, innovative climate, innovative processes and organization, innovation-supporting top management and innovative marketing. In the category “innovative processes and organization”, the SGL Group even succeeded in making the leap into the top ten of the 280 applicants.
“Top 100” looks for and promotes SME companies that are outstanding thanks to their innovative strength. The search is carried out by innovative experts at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration under the supervision of Prof. Nikolaus Franke. The experts begin by assessing the innovative potential of the applicants by means of a questionnaire and use a second questionnaire to evaluate the central aspects of innovation management. Franke compiles the individual results in each case in a detailed benchmark report for the award-winning company. Robert Koehler, CEO of SGL Group, is very content with the award since it distinguishes the work and investments for the Advanced Materials segment of the Group over the last years: „With our specialty graphite and carbon fibers products e.g. for solar, wind, lithium-ion-battery, nuclear, aerospace/defense, and automobile industry we are a specialist with a broad base of innovative materials and solutions operating in innovative markets.“
“Technology & Innovation” (T&I), the Group’s global research center which was established in 2005 at the largest of the SGL Group sites worldwide is a supporting pillar of the Company’s new growth strategy. The T&I employees are developing products and solutions for existing and future markets. A significant feature of the carbon specialists’ innovation management is its close intercommunication with scientific research establishments and universities as well as its early cooperation with customers in development projects. The SME initiative Top 100 is organized by compamedia GmbH based in Überlingen. All 100 companies are presented in the book published by Lothar Späth entitled “Top 100 – the 100 most innovative SME companies”. In addition, they are presented in detail on the website www.top100.de. As “Top 100” companies, the companies also automatically belong to the network of the best innovators in Germany and benefit from meetings and contact with the other 99 top innovators.