The award will be presented by Germany's Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, at the HANNOVER MESSE opening ceremony on 21 April.

Participants of HANNOVER MESSE have until 21 February to enter this competition.

For the first time, the independent jury will be led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Under his leadership, the jury will shortlist three products for both the HERMES AWARD and the HERMES Startup AWARD from the entries submitted and then select the winners. The products are evaluated based on their technological innovation, industry, environmental and societal benefits, cost-effectiveness, and implementation readiness.

The HERMES Startup AWARD 2023 was bestowed upon MantiSpectra from the Netherlands. The award recognised the product, ChipSense, a fully integrated near-infrared sensor and the smallest of its kind in the market with a 1mm2 footprint. This sensor facilitates rapid and highly accurate analysis, delivering real-time data directly from the production line. It enables immediate defect detection and on-the-spot quality control, already finding applications in industry, agriculture, and food processing.

Apply here: https://www.hannovermesse.de/en/side-events/awards/hermes-award