Start-Up Honoured with Innovation Award

Start-Up Honoured with Innovation Award

From a new welding process – allowing wind turbines to be manufactured significantly faster and more cost-effectively in the future – to a robotic dog accelerating the expansion of railway infrastructure, the innovations awarded the Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award 2024 cover a wide range of groundbreaking ideas. Out of 125 submissions, the jury selected five recipients.

Among them WeldNova GmbH, a spin-off from the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), has been honored with the prestigious Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award 2024. The BAM startup received the award for its groundbreaking welding technology. The jury particularly praised the economic and ecological advantages of the process. The WeldMagnet, a specialized electromagnet for laser-hybrid welding, significantly accelerates the production of wind turbine towers and other steel constructions.

"We are thrilled by this recognition, as it validates our work and dedication," said Christian Brunner-Schwer, Managing Director of WeldNova. "The Innovation Award gives us additional momentum to bring our technology to market. With its immense potential to significantly reduce both costs and CO₂ emissions, our innovation could not only revolutionize industrial production but also contribute to climate protection."

The uniqueness of WeldNova's magnet lies in its ability to prevent the dripping of molten material when working with thick plates – a challenge that has previously limited the widespread adoption of laser-hybrid welding. In conventional welding, the 30-millimeter-thick plates of a tower require about 95 hours of welding time. With the WeldMagnet and laser-hybrid welding, this time can be reduced to 11 hours. This translates to a 90 % cost reduction and a 16-fold decrease in CO₂ emissions.

WeldNova is supported by the EXIST funding program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). Additionally, the team benefits from BAM's excellent research infrastructure during the startup phase.

The Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award is awarded annually by the Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Enterprises of Berlin and the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Energy of Brandenburg.

(Source: Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Press (BAM) Release)