Top industry prize recognises outstanding manufacturing expertise and digital process innovation.

June 2025 – The high-tech company Ziehl-Abegg has been honored with the prestigious Manufacturing Excellence (MX) Award. The jury highlighted the company’s strong innovation capabilities, its exceptional vertical integration, and its consistent focus on digitalization, sustainability, and process optimization.

The award is presented annually by the Institute for Technology and Management at the Technical University of Berlin, in cooperation with partners including the VDMA (German Engineering Federation), the University of St. Gallen’s IMU, and the WZL at RWTH Aachen. The MX Award is one of the most important industrial honors in the German-speaking world and recognizes companies that set benchmarks in manufacturing and production management.

Ziehl-Abegg stood out in the category of Quality Management thanks to its deeply integrated production processes and the use of innovative digital tools such as the Shopfloor Cockpit and a highly automated SMD assembly line with intelligent optical inspection.

“This award is a powerful validation of our manufacturing strategy,” said Joachim Ley, CEO of ZIEHL-ABEGG. “We combine traditional craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology – always with the goal of becoming better, more efficient, and more sustainable.”

In its assessment, the jury particularly praised Ziehl-Abegg’s comprehensive culture of continuous improvement – from the shop floor to the executive level. The company does not merely use cutting-edge technologies, but embraces a holistic approach to excellence. The jury also emphasized Ziehl-Abegg’s unwavering commitment to a zero-defect philosophy and its use of advanced quality assurance technologies. Close collaboration with suppliers and a cultural shift toward greater employee engagement are key elements that strengthen quality in the long term.

“This award is something very special to me personally,” added Ley. “As COO, excellence in production has always been close to my heart. The fact that our teams bring this high standard to life fills me with pride – and gratitude.”

With the MX Award, Ziehl-Abegg once again reinforces its position as a technology leader in ventilation, control, and drive technology. The combination of technological depth, biomimetic optimized products, and a production strategy centered on sustainability forms the foundation for long-term success.

Marcus Engel, Head of the Electronics Plant at Ziehl-Abegg, accepted the award in Berlin on behalf of the company. In his acceptance speech, he emphasized: “For us, the MX Award is not the finish line – it’s a milestone. We are committed to breaking new ground – together with our employees, our partners, and our customers.”