The award will be presented during the Hannover Messe on April 12 in Hanover. "With the Hannover Messe Digital Edition, we will be organizing a digital industrial trade fair in April 2021 that offers a unique variety of innovations and solutions. We are pleased that we can once again offer our exhibitors such a comprehensive platform in these difficult pandemic times for everyone and thus provide the stage for the worthy and glamorous presentation of the Hermes Award," says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Messe.

Jury chairman and Fraunhofer President Prof. Neugebauer explains the selection of this year's nominees: "The current framework conditions and uncertainties due to the ongoing corona pandemic have not reached the Hermes Award 2021. Numerous qualified applications met the important key aspects of our criteria "degree of technical innovation", "benefits for industry, the environment and society" and "cost-effectiveness and readiness for implementation". The projects of the three nominees all stand for dynamic development in mechanical engineering and the innovative capacity of Germany as a high-tech location."

Bosch Rexroth: The nominated project SVA R2 (Subsea-Valve_Actuator) is the world's first electric actuator for controlling process valves under water. The SVA R2 offers an energy-efficient and safe alternative to the pneumatic actuators previously used in offshore oil and gas production. The central unit and the kilometers of pipelines for the fluid are no longer required, and environmental risks are greatly minimized. The unit nevertheless has the same dimensions, can be integrated directly on site, increases energy efficiency and only requires a power supply and a data line.

Phoenix Contact: The company was nominated for its NearFi technology. It enables the contactless transmission of power and data and can replace previous plug connections. Thanks to protocol-independent and latency-free Ethernet communication, it offers flexible application options for all Ethernet protocols up to 100 Mbit/s. Real-time transmission takes place in both directions. The technology enables high reliability with low wear and tear.

Pilz: The nominated product myPnoz is a new type of modular safety relay that is manufactured in batch size 1. Users can assemble their product using an online tool, with no programming knowledge required, as the logic of the safety functions is defined by the module selection and their plug-in sequence. The myPnoz product is a ready-to-install and completely individualized system that represents an efficient and safe solution for mechanical and plant engineering and other industries.