TOP 100 Award for Heidelberg metering technology manufacturer

TOP 100 Award for Heidelberg metering technology manufacturer – Innovation Award: Ranga Yogeshwar honours ProMinent

Recognition at the German SME Summit: Ranga Yogeshwar congratulates ProMinent GmbH from Heidelberg on being awarded the TOP 100 seal. The summit award ceremony for the SMEs that received the TOP 100 seal at the beginning of the year took place on 28 June in Weimar. The science journalist is a mentor for the 31st innovation competition. In the scientific selection process, ProMinent stood out in the "Climate of Innovation" category. This is the second time the company has been named a top innovator.

"We would like to thank all our employees who have contributed to our success. This award recognises our continuous efforts to innovate and improve quality. Together we are defining new industry standards," says Andreas Zühlcke, ProMinent's Vice President of Product Management and Marketing.

Innovative technology for all water quality applications

The TOP 100 company profile published for the awards states:

Innovative technology in the field of water quality – that is ProMinent's core business. The company's activities are divided into four product areas: metering technology, sensor technology, water treatment and disinfection. Each sector also has its own development department, located on one floor of the new engineering tower at the company's headquarters in Heidelberg. On another floor, digital developers work on Industry 4.0-related projects. Creative islands, quiet zones and brainstorming rooms are all part of the new building for the development departments. After all, innovation is a top management priority. But it's not just the nearly 50 developers in the new engineering tower who are working on new solutions every day – the entire workforce is involved. To further improve the climate of innovation at ProMinent, idea competitions are held on a regular basis, in which employee suggestions are collected and evaluated, with prizes being awarded at the end.

Matrix structure and agile working

Whether in a swimming pool or a clarification plant, solutions from different company divisions are regularly combined. Although the research and development departments are physically separate, they are closely linked through a matrix structure. Experts with similar roles and responsibilities meet regularly to discuss ideas. In addition, all four product areas report to a centralised research and development management team, which is in frequent contact with senior management. In addition, the entire product development process is agile, with a focus on flexibility and adaptability. This enables the development teams to respond quickly to changing customer and market needs. The developers at ProMinent GmbH may well sit in their tower, but not the typical ivory tower.

Digitalisation department with plenty of freedom

Many developments focus on safety, efficiency and environmental compatibility, for example through the reduced use of chemicals. But integrating the different technologies is just as important. In fact, this is the main focus of the digitalisation department's work. This department works with a lean start-up mentality and a lot of creative freedom. The entire staff at the SME agrees that the future will be increasingly digital.

TOP 100: the competition

The TOP 100 competition is based on a scientific selection process. On behalf of compamedia, the comparison organiser, Prof. Dr Nikolaus Franke from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and his team evaluated ProMinent on the basis of more than 100 criteria in five categories: innovation-promoting senior management, climate of innovation, innovative processes and organisation, external orientation/open innovation and innovation success.

Photo:Ranga Yogeshwar presents the award to Andreas Zühlcke, ProMinent's Vice President of Product Management and Marketing (Copyright: KD Busch/compamedia).