Using a scientific system, TOP 100 evaluates the innovation management of medium-sized companies and the resulting innovation successes. In the independent selection process, the company with 40 employees was particularly convincing in the "External Orientation / Open Innovation" category.

Proxia Software specializes in the development of MES software (Manufacturing Execution System) for controlling and monitoring manufacturing processes. The TOP 100 company is successful with a modular system in which some modules offer more than 1,000 configuration options - the cooperation with customers in the design of individual solutions is correspondingly close. "Our modular system is highly individualized and can be permanently updated," explains CEO Julia Klingspor.

The Ebersberg-based top innovator is also successful with its modular system because every industry and every company has its own individual requirements. "We are very proud to be able to meet our customers in their respective worlds today," says CEO Torsten Wenzel. And yet there are also issues that concern almost all customers: for example, data protection, especially when using the latest cloud solutions.

With this in mind, Proxia designed a solution that allows each company to decide for itself which data remains in-house and which moves to the cloud. In addition, every customer can learn collectively with Proxia's MES software. This is because individual solutions are permanently integrated into the software standard. In this way, the product grows with the requirements of the market, and ultimately every single user benefits from this, in line with the collective principle.

Out of 398 companies that applied for a TOP 100 award in the current round, Proxia made it into the TOP 100 innovators. The system developed by Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke as scientific director gave manufacturing and service-providing companies the same opportunities and also took into account the respective company sizes. Franke and his team examined around 120 parameters. "Innovation means restlessness. The TOP 100 companies are therefore constantly creating new products, new services, new business models and new processes. If you want to be an innovation leader, you have to consistently align the company as a whole with the goal of innovation," Franke comments on the results.

An evaluation of key figures from the TOP 100 shows just how much their own innovative strength contributes to the company's success: the companies are planning to create around 18,000 additional jobs between 2018 and 2020. This corresponds to employee growth of 19 percent. Their turnover growth was recently 24 percentage points above the industry average. On average, they generated 36.4% of their turnover with market novelties or innovative improvements and received almost 2,700 national and international patents in the past three years alone. 65 percent of the companies are family-run businesses.