Thuringia has once again honored its most innovative minds and ideas: At the ceremonial presentation of the Thuringian Innovation Award 2025, five companies were honored for their outstanding achievements. The Ernst Abbe Prize for Innovative Entrepreneurship was awarded to Martin H. Kühn. In addition, an audience award was awarded.
The Thuringia Innovation Award is one of the most highly endowed awards for innovative ideas in Germany and a reflection of the innovative strength in the region. The award recognizes developments that have arisen in Thuringia and make a significant contribution to economic, technological and social development.
The Thuringia Innovation Award is a competition of the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Areas, the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia, TÜV Thüringen e. V. and the Ernst Abbe Foundation.
Colette Boos-John, Thuringia’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Areas, emphasized as patron: “Thuringia is a state of ideas, characterized by inventiveness, craftsmanship and scientific excellence. These strengths secure our future. The Thuringia Innovation Award makes them visible and shows how diverse and creative our economy is – from young startups to established companies. The Thuringia Innovation Award honors people who dare to try new things and advance our state with their developments.”
Stefan Gruhner, Head of the State Chancellery and Thuringian Minister for Federal and European Affairs, Sports and Volunteering, paid tribute to the award-winning companies at the award ceremony in Weimar: “The companies awarded today exemplify the innovative spirit that characterizes Thuringia. I am always impressed by the determination, down-to-earthness and future orientation with which our entrepreneurs break new ground. They show: Thuringia can do technology, can do excellence and can compete.”
The Innovation Award recognises these achievements and at the same time underlines the great importance of a strong SME sector for our business location. The state government is therefore deliberately focusing on reliability, plannable framework conditions and investments in central future fields – from quantum photonics to hydrogen and battery technologies to sustainable construction.
Together with our companies, research institutions and committed specialists, we are making it clear that the Green Heart of Germany is not only a region with a high quality of life, but also a business-friendly innovation and future location that confidently takes its place in national and European competition.”
The winners of the Thuringian Innovation Award 2025
Category “TRADITION & FUTURE”
(endowed with 25,000.00 €)
WERT GmbH, Fambach
Innovation: VALUE PHANTOM
Category “INDUSTRY & MATERIAL”
(endowed with 25,000.00 €)
VACOM Vakuum Komponenten & Messtechnik GmbH, Großlöbichau
Innovation: Cassini
Category “DIGITAL & MEDIA”
(endowed with 25,000.00 €):
Spleenlab GmbH, Saalburg-Ebersdorf
Innovation: VISIONAIRY®
Category “LIGHT & LIFE”
(endowed with 25,000.00 €):
Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Jena
ZEISS Lightfield 4D
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR YOUNG COMPANIES OF FUNKE MEDIEN
(endowed with € 10,000.00, consisting of prize money and advertising services):
PERCEPTEC GmbH, Jena
ERNST ABBE PRIZE FOR INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Martin H. Kühn
Founder and CEO of NT Neue Technologie AG(
To be published in the afternoon of 25.11., 3 p.m.)
AUDIENCE AWARD
(decided by online vote)
Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Jena
Christiane Kilian, Executive Director of the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia , clarified the importance of the Thuringian innovation ecosystem: “Innovation arises where people, ideas, knowledge and speed meet. The Thuringia Innovation Award is much more than an award: it is an engine that drives exchange, courage and cooperation. It shows how powerful our network of business, research and politics is and how we are shaping the future together. The Thuringia Innovation Award is being awarded for the 28th time. 71 applications were submitted for the competition and evaluated by a 13-member jury of experts. When awarding the prize, the jurors decided on criteria such as degree of innovation, entrepreneurial performance, sustainability, functionality, utility value and economic success. In addition, the competition entries must already be launched on the market or will be launched shortly. A further prerequisite is that the innovations presented are predominantly developed or manufactured in Thuringia.