Award for Styrian innovation projects
The shortlist is set – now it’s time for the final round
The hot phase of the Styria Innovation Award has begun: the shortlist of the 18 best submissions has been finalized, and our independent jury of experts will select the six winning projects from this list. The award ceremony for the winners will take place in April in a festive setting.
Styria’s innovative strength is once again evident: in the key areas of digitalization and sustainability, three outstanding projects have been nominated in each of the categories micro and small businesses, medium-sized and large businesses, and research institutions.
The selection was made by the Industriewissenschaftlichen Institut Wien (IWI), which evaluated the submissions independently and professionally according to their degree of innovation, economic relevance, and future potential.
Digitalization: Micro and small businesses
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arterioscope FlexCo
arterioscope.AI-ECG is cloud-based medtech software that uses AI to derive non-invasive cardiovascular biomarkers from a standard 12-lead ECG. This makes the early detection and monitoring of heart failure in everyday practice faster, cheaper, and more widely available.
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openmaind FlexCo
openmaind is developing a manufacturer-independent AI Fleet Orchestrator that, for the first time, enables mobile robotics to be used as a shared, intelligently controlled system. This makes existing AMR fleets more efficient, flexible, and safer to operate—with measurable effects on costs, throughput, and scalability.
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plasoft GmbH
infinalyse enables the automated collection, analysis, and use of production data in real time. Intelligent interfaces connect, optimize, and continuously improve processes. This is considered the foundation for the manufacturing of the future.
Digitization: Medium and large enterprises
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Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik
AT&S has developed a process for embedding semiconductor elements in power electronics, enabling the construction of ultra-compact power supply modules for high-performance data centers. This allows AI applications and other computationally intensive tasks to be performed faster and more efficiently.
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pewag Schneeketten Gmb
Serea is a keyless smart lock that, unlike others, requires no batteries or external power sources. Secure – Reliable – Easy – Serea.
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Siemens Energy Austria GmbH
Siemens Energy Austria GmbH is digitizing the entire production process for large transformers at its Weiz site. This creates transparency and efficiency and forms the basis for AI-supported decisions—a key step for the future of a globally competitive transformer production site in Styria.
Digitization: R&D institutions
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Montanuniversität Leoben – Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft
The Digital Waste Research Lab (DWRL) is a novel modular large-scale research infrastructure for digital waste analysis and treatment that combines circular economy and digitalization to record material and waste flows as well as environmental processes in real time and transfer them into an intelligent ecosystem. The facility acts as an innovation hub and driver for projects by numerous Austrian technology companies and research institutions, forming a flexible research infrastructure network for the development of digital solutions to waste management issues.
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Silicon Austria Labs GmbH
Together with partners, SAL is developing a novel battery system (hardware & software) for use in the aviation sector. Key innovations include the integration of AI processes with quantum sensors, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and specially developed on-board chargers. The context is the European research project “Archimedes,” which is developing techniques to extend the service life of key components in electronic systems with the aim of increasing the typical service life from 8,000 to 120,000 hours.
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Universität Graz
GEOTEQ is developing a modular multi-sensor platform for the automated collection, transmission, and analysis of complex environmental data, which is used in particular for monitoring natural hazards such as snow avalanches. The aim is to enable data-driven decisions through real-time information.
Sustainability: Micro and small businesses
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BirdShades Innovations GmbH
BirdShades has developed a window film that is invisible to humans but makes glass surfaces visible to birds. In this way, the company effectively reduces bird-window collisions and contributes to the preservation of biodiversity.t.
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Ecolyte GmbH
In the EIC Pathfinder project VanillaFlow (2023–2026), a multidisciplinary team from three countries is working on the AI-driven development of stationary, sustainable, and scalable energy storage systems. All components (membranes, redox-active molecules, electrodes) and the control of the battery within the battery are being researched and optimized using AI. The aim is to replace critical raw materials and reduce geopolitical dependencies. Ecolyte GmbH is applying for the innovation award with a groundbreaking paper membrane technology.
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SUPASO GmbH
SUPASO GmbH develops modular upcycling hubs that enable high-quality, biodegradable Styrofoam substitutes to be produced from waste paper. The company is thus creating a decentralized, sustainable solution for replacing fossil-based packaging materials.
Sustainability: Medium and large enterprises
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Binder+Co
Metals such as copper, zinc, and aluminum must be separated from each other even if there are no clearly discernible color differences between them, so that they can subsequently be fed into the recycling cycle. To this end, Binder+Co’s existing optical sorting machine has been further developed with AI-supported functions to use more complex information for sorting via neural networks.
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GIG Karasek GmbH
With the innovative CompriVAP system, GIG Karasek is implementing the world’s most powerful industrial heat pump at BASF, which converts waste heat from a steam cracker into up to 50 MW of CO₂-free process steam, saving around 100,000 tons of emissions annually. This flagship project demonstrates how innovative open heat pump technology can turn industrial waste heat into a valuable energy source and significantly advance the decarbonization of energy-intensive industries.
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Insort GmbH
With the Bandsorter, Insort GmbH has developed a novel optical sorting machine that, for the first time, enables all-round inspection of moist and sensitive foods, such as freshly cut French fries, in a single sorting step. A combination of innovative mechanics, modern image processing, and AI-based classification achieves a sorting performance that significantly surpasses comparable sorting machines in terms of efficiency, hygiene, and sustainability.
Sustainability: R&D institutions
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Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH
The submitted project marks the first successful commercial and large-scale production of recyclable fiber-reinforced and polymer-based composite materials for the aviation industry.
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Technische Universität Graz, Institut für Chemische Verfahrenstechnik und Umwelttechnik
The project is developing scalable, sustainable, and cost-efficient coating technologies for the production of ultra-thin, electrochemical functional layers of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in fuel cells and electrolysers. This will lay the foundation for industrially reproducible MEA production, which will take place entirely in Austria.
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Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH
BATTCAVE is a battery safety laboratory run by Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH that focuses on testing methods for lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and post-lithium batteries. Through gas analysis and test benches developed in-house, the laboratory contributes to a better understanding of the safety of these technologies.
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