Startup Wins Safety Award for First Time

 

DEKRA Award 2019 Presented in Four Categories

The DEKRA Award 2019 was presented on Wednesday, 23 October 2019, in Berlin. A distinguished panel of judges selected groundbreaking innovations from Bosch eBike Systems (Category: Road Safety), Linde Material Handling (Category: Workplace Safety), and GWS – Gesellschaft für Siedlungs- und Wohnungsbau Baden-Württemberg (Category: Home Safety) as this year’s winners. In the newly introduced “Startups” category, the award went to Serinus for its intelligent crisis management solution. A first for the DEKRA Award: the winner in the Startups category was selected via a live public vote during the event’s grand finale.

• Serinus Wins New “Startups” Category by Public Vote
• Additional Awards for Road, Workplace, and Home Safety
• Ceremonial Award Presentation Attended by Numerous Guests in Berlin

»“The DEKRA Award inspires, provides innovative impulses, and encourages investment in tomorrow’s safety challenges,” said Stefan Kölbl, Chairman of the Board of Management of DEKRA e.V. and DEKRA SE, during the formal ceremony held at the Deutsche Telekom Representative Office. “This year’s winners have impressed with outstanding innovations in the digital age that will contribute to long-term and sustainable safety improvements across industry and society.”«

The globally operating expert organisation DEKRA has been hosting the DEKRA Award in partnership with WirtschaftsWoche, Germany’s leading business magazine, for many years. The award recognises forward-looking excellence in the service of safety.

A notable addition to this year’s DEKRA Award was the introduction of the Startups category. This special award is supported by Gründerszene, a leading platform for the digital economy, acting as a network partner. Three nominated startups pitched their innovations in three-minute presentations to the audience: Crashtrest Security showcased its cybersecurity solution for web applications, Serinus presented a crisis management software, and Logical Safety introduced a system capable of autonomously detecting industrial safety risks. The winner, chosen through an audience voting app, was Serinus.

The 2019 DEKRA Safety Champions:

Winner – Road Safety Category

Enhancing safety for e-bike riders: The goal of the Bosch eBike ABS (anti-lock braking system), already in series production, is to allow for more controlled and stable braking—even under challenging conditions. Developed by Bosch eBike Systems, the system combines a front-wheel ABS with a rear wheel lift control, which, according to Bosch, significantly increases safety. During difficult braking manoeuvres, it regulates brake pressure and enhances both ride stability and steering capability.

Winner – Workplace Safety Category

In Germany, around 30,000 forklift-related accidents occur annually. Linde Material Handling aims to reduce this number with an intelligent personal protective system: a high-visibility vest that flashes and vibrates when a forklift is nearby. The technology is based on a forklift assistance system that emits signals using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. The vest aims to prevent hazardous situations in internal logistics operations before they arise.

Winner – Home Safety Category

In a residential complex in Berlin-Adlershof, 90 housing units are currently being equipped with smart home technology under the “FutureLiving” initiative. GWS – Gesellschaft für Siedlungs- und Wohnungsbau Baden-Württemberg is aiming to increase not only comfort and energy efficiency, but also safety, by adapting the features to various tenant needs. The smart system is designed, for example, to help prevent falls and to automatically summon assistance if necessary.

Winner – Startups Category

Accidents, natural disasters, emergencies – how do those affected stay in control? The alert and crisis management system by Serinus distributes information and alerts according to predefined protocols via all available communication channels. The solution notifies all relevant stakeholders across departments and clearly communicates the required responses. As a startup, Serinus specialises in what is known as smart event communication.

This Year’s Jury

• Dr Annette Niederfranke, Director, International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Beat Balzli, Editor-in-Chief, WirtschaftsWoche
• Carlos Bhola, Managing Partner, Celsius Capital
• Boris Böhme, Head of Division, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Department of Product and Plant Safety
• Dr Raimund Klinkner, Managing Partner, Institute for Manufacturing Excellence
• Stefan Kölbl, Chairman of the Board of Management, DEKRA e.V. and DEKRA SE