Packaging Experts are Among the Most Innovative SMEs
A ranking by the consulting firm Munich Strategy commissioned by Wirtschaftswoche presents the most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany. Packaging specialists are among them.
Plastiv film manufacturer Südpack came in second in the ranking, making it one of the 100 most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany. The consultancy Munich Strategy was commissioned by Wirtschaftswoche magazine to determine a ranking of 4000 German companies. In first place is a company that was already among the winners in a previous innovation competition in the spring: Knauer Wissenschaftliche Geräte. “Medium-sized companies are successful: the share of traditional companies among the top 15 innovators has grown strongly in recent years. These companies have succeeded in flexibly adapting their business models to the trending topics and challenges of the time, such as the Corona pandemic,” says Barbara Siegert, Digital Transformation Expert and Partner at Munich Strategy. The top players of the 100 most innovative SMEs of 2022 are located in different industries, but they are united by their innovative approach to the topics of sustainability and efficient use of resources. According to the study, sustainability is highly relevant for the innovations of SMEs. This plays an important role not only in the ecological sense, but also in the social area. As in previous years, the leading industry among the innovation champions in this year’s ranking is the technology sector. More than a third of the companies use digitization and automation for their purposes.
The assessment is based on an innovation score, two-thirds of which are calculated on the basis of the companies’ innovative strength and one-third on their performance. “With the ranking, we want to honor innovation in SMEs and inspire the breadth of SMEs to drive their own innovation agenda,” Siegert says. Several leading companies from the packaging industry are represented. The packaging machine manufacturer Theegarten-Pactec comes in 6th place. The Dresden-based machine builder develops, manufactures, and assembles packaging systems for confectionery manufacturers. One of its latest products, the Chocolate Highspeed System (CHS), manages 1800 pieces of chocolate products per minute. This is by far “the fastest thing in the world,” Managing Director Markus Rustler told Wirtschaftswoche. The company Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. KG, which manufactures hot stamping foils, comes in 22nd place, while packaging machine manufacturer Harro Höfliger is ranked 46th.
The company Faubel u. Co. Nachfolger (HE), which produces labels and package inserts, comes in at 61st place. Balluff, which is known for automation and sensor technology, comes in at 72nd place. Automation specialist Peter Pilz GmbH also makes the top 100, landing at 97th place.
