GELITA awarded prize for NOVOTEC® CB800

Eberbach/Berlin, June 8, 2018. At the prize-giving ceremony for the first German Innovation Award on 6 June 2018 in Berlin, GELITA AG was awarded gold for its innovative detergent additive NOVOTEC^® CB800. The jury was particularly impressed with how the revolutionary surface protecting product offers a highly effective and environmentally friendly solution for industrial cleaning.

As one of the leading manufacturers of collagen proteins, GELITA AG is one of the leading innovators among German small to medium-sized companies. The Eberbach company fosters a holistic culture of innovation in which each of the 2,500 employees worldwide can and should contribute their ideas and suggestions. "Continuous innovations in all areas of business are our driving force and an essential part of our sustainable success," said Michael Teppner, Head of Marketing and Communication at GELITA AG, at the presentation of the first German Innovation Award on 6 June in the Berlin Museum of Technology. The group received a gold award in the "Excellence in Business to Business (B2B)" category in the section "Chemical Industry" for its innovative detergent additive NOVOTEC^® CB800.

Revolutionary surface protection

The functional NOVOTEC^® proteins are added to water-based cleaning formulations. They form robust, water-attracting protective coatings on many surfaces. In contrast to the well-known lotus effect, for example, which repels water but allows water-insoluble dirt to stick to the surface, particles of dirt float on the protein film and are simply washed away on contact with water ("easy-to-clean"). This produces a self-cleaning effect, which prolongs cleaning intervals. GELITA's product is so effective that it greatly extends the cleaning cycle, saving water, energy and time and thus costs. NOVOTEC^® CB800 is free of aggressive chemicals, skin-friendly and biodegradable. A revolutionary innovation that, in the view of the jury, sets new standards in the field of cleaning.

Innovations that create added value

The German Innovation Award is initiated and conducted by the German Design Council. It was launched in 1953 by the German Bundestag and is sponsored by the Federation of German Industries. 650 companies entered the competition. Awards are presented for innovations in a total of 40 categories. A top-class jury awards the Gold, Winner and Special Mention prizes in two competition classes ("Excellence in Business to Consumer" and "Excellence in Business to Business"). The evaluation criteria of the German Innovation Award cover topics such as the level of innovation, user benefits, and cost effectiveness.

Photo: Nina Offenbecher (Associate Innovation and Portfolio, Business Development Photo/Technical at GELITA), Andrej Kupetz (Managing Director of the German Design Council, Frankfurt am Main) and Dr. Matthias Reihmann (Head of Global Product Management Photo/Technical at GELITA) at the award ceremony in Berlin (from left to right).

Image source: GRAND VISIONS/grandvisions.de