Innovation Award for DEGUMA
On December 4, 2024, the Thuringian Innovation Award was presented for the 27th time. The award is presented annually to honor outstanding innovations from Thuringia. The prize, awarded by the Thuringian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society, the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT), TÜV Thüringen e.V. and the Ernst Abbe Foundation, is under the patronage of the Thuringian Minister for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society, Wolfgang Tiefensee.
Christiane Kilian, chair of the STIFT foundation, opened the awards ceremony and made it clear: “Innovation is happening in Thuringia. But that is not a matter of course in times of energy crisis, shortage of skilled workers and turbulent markets. It takes courageous entrepreneurs like Viktoria Schütz to lead the way, think anew and thus change the world. This is how innovation is created that advances business, science and our society.”
Ernst Abbe Award for Innovative Entrepreneurship
This year, Viktoria Schütz, managing partner of DEGUMA-SCHÜTZ GmbH, was awarded the Ernst Abbe Prize for innovative entrepreneurship for her services to Thuringia as a business and technology location.
“Viktoria Schütz is a visionary, entrepreneur and personality. In doing so, she sets impulses in the spirit of Ernst Abbe. He was a visionary, social reformer and entrepreneur. Viktoria Schütz is showing what modern entrepreneurship can look like in this tradition. Together with co-managing director Daniela Dingfelder, they are modernizing the entire corporate culture, implementing innovative working models such as the four-day week, and promoting ownership thinking among employees. The focus is on the well-being of the employees, without losing sight of economic success,” said the laudatory speech.
Viktoria Schütz is delighted with the special recognition and emphasizes: “In these times, when entrepreneurship is a huge challenge that often tires and frustrates, an award like this gives you a motivational boost to persevere. Technically and culturally transforming an existing company in a conservative industry and area is no easy feat, especially when you are dealing with a polycrisis. My thanks go above all to my co-managing director Daniela Dingfelder, without whom I would never have been able to put all this into practice, to my father, who trusted me to continue his life's work, and to our team, who embarked on this journey with us.”
Ernst Abbe, a reformer who remains a role model to this day
Ernst Abbe remains a role model to this day as a scientist, entrepreneur and reformer. He combined entrepreneurial commitment with the results of science and research, as well as a sense of social responsibility. In this spirit, the award, which is assigned by suggestions only, is awarded to entrepreneurs who not only advance the economy but also take responsibility for their employees, implementing their ideas with daring and creativity.
Further informationen on the award can be found at: www.innovationspreis-thueringen.de
