Placing a high value on innovation

Endress+Hauser invested more money in research and development than ever before in 2022, thus underscoring the company’s innovation ambitions. Innovators from across the Group were honored at the annual Innovators’ Meeting.

Since 2000 Endress+Hauser has invited all employees involved in patent filings to the annual Innovators’ Meeting. This year the event was held at the Freiburg Convention Center in Germany, where 300 innovators and guests gathered to honor the Group’s wealth of ideas and innovative spirit.

Endress+Hauser submitted 235 initial patent filings in 2022. The intellectual property rights portfolio, which continues to grow, now comprises 8,700 patents and patent filings that protect Endress+Hauser’s products, solutions and services from imitators. “Our well-filled product pipeline shows that Endress+Hauser’s innovation strength continues unabated,” emphasized Chief Operating Officer Dr Andreas Mayr.

Endress+Hauser invested 242 million euros in R&D in 2022, which represents 7.2 percent of sales and an increase of 13.6 percent over the prior year. More than 1,200 employees are active in this area of the company. Eight out of 100 employees at Endress+Hauser are exclusively involved in the development of new products, solutions and services. However, employees in production, logistics, IT and administration also ensure innovation with process improvements.

“The Innovators’ Meeting allows us to offer a platform where employees from different Endress+Hauser companies can meet and network,” said Dr Christine Koslowski, Director of Intellectual Property Rights at Endress+Hauser. “Last year, 85 percent of our innovations stemmed from innovation teams. This illustrates how important personal interaction is for the creative process.”

During the Innovators’ Meeting, Endress+Hauser recognizes employees who developed economically significant or especially creative innovations in the last year. In addition, awards are given for process improvements or the reuse of existing solutions. A total of 61 employees were recognized at this year’s event.