IFOY AWARD 2021 
Application phase begins

What are the best intralogistics products and system solutions of the year? From now on, providers of products and solutions can apply again for IFOY AWARD 2021. A total of 13 categories are available, covering almost all areas of application in intralogistics.

In addition to forklifts, warehouse technology equipment and special vehicles, automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs), shuttles, robots, cargo bikes, drones, cranes, software and apps as well as successfully implemented, integrated warehouse concepts are also eligible for application. In addition, outstanding technical details or components, such as ergonomic innovations, safety solutions or automation components, are also awarded. In the category "Start-up of the Year”, newly founded companies with innovative prototypes or functional developments can apply for an IFOY AWARD.

Applications can only be submitted via the Internet at www.ifoy.org. The conditions of participation can be requested from the IFOY office.

The International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY AWARD) has established itself as an indicator of economic efficiency and innovation and is regarded as the leading innovation award in intralogistics due to its technical expertise. The jury, with its members being the chief editors of leading international logistics media, makes its decisions independently, according to transparent criteria and on the basis of professional expertise. The decision is based on the three-stage audit. The products and solutions nominated for the final will undergo individually tailored driving or functional tests during the IFOY TEST DAYS in early 2021 at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds, including the IFOY test protocol comprising around 80 criteria and the scientific IFOY Innovation Check. It is crucial that the nominees are not compared with each other, but with their competitors on the market. In addition, jurors and their advisory teams from the industry travel to the fair to assess the finalists themselves before they cast their vote.

The sponsor of the IFOY AWARD, which is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, is the VDMA Sector Association for Materials Handling and Intralogistics. IFOY partner is the HANNOVER MESSE. Pallet partner of the IFOY AWARD is CHEP, world market leader in the pooling of pallets and containers. Partner for the logistics real estate sector is GARBE.

Following the motto "IFOY meets Business", B2B trade visitors from the logistics industry will again be admitted to the IFOY TEST DAYS on two days. The TEST CAMP Intralogistics enables logistics decision-makers to test products, equipment and general product information at the companies that made it to the IFOY finals and present nominated vehicles and solutions from the current but also from previous years. The number of participants is traditionally limited to 100 B2B visitors.

At a glance: IFOY AWARD categories 2021
1. Counter Balanced Truck up to 3.5 tons
2. Counter Balanced Truck from 3.51 tons
3. Heavy Load Forklift: Container stackers, heavy-duty forklifts over 8 tons
4. Special Vehicle: Forklifts and vehicles for special tasks, special vehicle manufacturing, drones, cargobikes, truck-mounted forklifts
5. Warehouse Truck "highlifter": Materials handling equipment from the 2nd rack level, such as high-bay trucks, VNA trucks or reach trucks, pedestrian-controlled highlift trucks, order-picking trucks, etc.
6. Warehouse Truck "lowlifter": Materials handling equipment up to 1st rack level, such as pedestrian-controlled lowlift trucks, lift trucks, tow tractors, tugger trains, order-picking trucks, etc.
7. Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV): Shuttle (systems), driverless transport systems, automated/partially automated materials handling equipment in the context of the application options
8. Intralogistics Robot: Robots or robot-based solutions for intralogistic applications (picking robots, palletizing and depalletizing robots, cobots, robots for automatic unloading and loading of trucks, etc.)
9. Intralogistics Software: Apps and intralogistics system or software solutions in the context of the application options, such as warehouse management systems, truck guidance systems, advanced driver assistance systems, fleet management systems, etc.
10. Integrated Warehouse Solution: A warehouse concept that has been successfully implemented at the customer's location
11. Special of the Year: Components or technical details that significantly improve economics or environment, the physical or psychological conditions of the user, such as ergonomic innovations, safety assistant solutions, automation solutions, drive technology, forklift attachments, etc.
12. Crane and Lifting Appliance: Cranes for various applications, like bridge and gantry cranes, wall travelling cranes, jib cranes, overhead monorail cranes, light cranes, etc.
Lifting appliances like chain hoists and rope hoists, winches, magnet lifters, vacuum lifters, lifting platforms and mobile elevating work platforms etc
13. Startup: The trophy is awarded to innovative prototypes or functional developments (intralogistics products, software, vehicles or components) of newly founded companies.

The application portal at www.ifoy.org is open until 15 October 2020.

To the application portal

IFOY AWARD 2020
Start-ups draw a positive balance

Three start-ups, which participated in the International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) AWARD for the first time in 2020, draw a positive balance afterwards. This is the result of a webinar entitled "IFOY AWARD 2020: Start-up Special", which Wiferion, the award winner in the "Start-up of the Year" category, held in cooperation with the IFOY AWARD organisation on July 23. In addition to a co-founder of Wiferion, two representatives of the two finalists Doks. innovation and Cellumation took part.

Wiferion from Freiburg is a specialist for contactless, inductive charging of industrial vehicles. Doks. innovation from Kassel focuses on automated inventory control using drones. Cellumation from Bremen has developed an intelligent conveyor system with omnidirectional wheels that distributes load carriers or parcels in any desired direction.

Internationality and reach

The start-ups benefited most from the internationality and reach of the IFOY AWARD. "Last year, 300 magazines worldwide reported on the IFOY AWARD, the reach was more than 90 million," emphasized Johannes Mayer, co-founder of Wiferion. "The cost of participation was manageable. That is why we would take part again at any time," he concluded. Sonja Gabriel, who is responsible for business development at Cellumation, highlighted the neutral, three-part IFOY Audit as a unique selling point of the competition. The reactions of VIP guests from industry, trade and logistics services during the TEST CAMP were also positively remembered by the three companies. According to Marie Sangmeister, marketing expert at Doks. innovation, the test atmosphere for the guests was "intensive and familiar".

In the discussion round moderated by Thilo Jörgl (IFOY AWARD Organization), the participants unanimously emphasized that start-ups in intralogistics have good future prospects, especially with digital process optimization and data-driven solutions. In this area, Johannes Mayer emphasized that the young companies could play off their advantages over established, large companies particularly well. "The start-ups, which usually focus on one topic, are adaptable and agile. Short decision making processes, for example, bring time advantages in development," said the young entrepreneur.

In contrast to many a company, the entrepreneurs do not have any major problems getting good employees. One factor for success is to communicate the "start-up spirit" to the outside world again and again, emphasized marketing expert Marie Sangmeister in this context. Sonja Gabriel made the experience that it is important for external applicants that they can often "shape their own career" in a young company.

Despite all the motivation of the employees, according to the start-ups, the way to the top is also hard. Admittedly, numerous programs help with financing in the early phase. "But in the later rounds it is not easy to get money and investors," reported Johannes Mayer. One advantage of German start-ups in intralogistics is that many potential customers are in the country. Although intralogistics is a growth market, according to Sonja Gabriel it has some pitfalls compared to other sectors of the economy. Example: Representatives of potential customers want to see as many references as possible. "That's why it is extremely important to find a pilot customer who reports positive experiences and acts as an ambassador for the solution," says Sonja Gabriel.

The entire recorded webinar is now available in German and English at https://youtu.be/6naZy6drMeU .The applicant portal for the IFOY AWARD 2021 has been open since July 14 at www.ifoy.org. Here, applicants can find all important information about the world's largest intralogistics competition.