Winners of the 6th KGCCI Innovation Awards take a photo with Barbara Zollmann (far left), president & CEO of KGCCI, and Arne Kuper (far right), deputy head of the economics department from the German Embassy in Seoul, during a ceremony on Friday. (KGCCI)
The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry held its 6th KGCCI Innovation Awards ceremony Friday in Seoul in a toned-down setting to comply with Level 2 social distancing rules and safety measures, the KGCCI said Monday.
The KGCCI Innovation Awards were initiated in 2015 with the purpose of showcasing innovative products, technologies and business strategies of Korean and German companies. The event was held in a hybrid format and livestreamed due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation.
KGCCI German Chairman Peter Tiedemann underlined in his opening that over the years many remarkable innovations have been honored.
German Ambassador Michael Reiffenstuel said in his virtual address, “The Awards demonstrate in the best way possible that exchange and cooperation among German and Korean companies, universities and research institutions are vibrant and lively.”
In her congratulatory video, Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and startups, said, “The award winners and associated representatives have dedicated themselves to innovation within the industrial communities in Korea as well as Germany. … I would like to thank you for your tireless efforts.”
The 2020 KGCCI innovation awards winners are three local units of German firms, including optical systems maker Carl Zeiss Korea, BMW Group Korea and auto solutions maker ETAS Korea, as well as Korean smart agriculture technology firm GINT.
Carl Zeiss Korea was honored as the winner of the Innovation in Business category for pioneering work in lithography optics using extreme ultraviolet light. GINT, which provides optimal electronic control technology for a wide variety of operations, was awarded in the category of Innovation in Digitalization.
BMW Group Korea was the winner in the Innovation in Sustainability category for its electric vehicle battery 2nd Life technology, which tackles an environmental issue stemming from battery production. ETAS Korea was named the first recipient for Women in Innovation, an award to honor female innovators in business.
By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)
