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the popular german tv-show "simply genial" (mdr) reported about the function of the heat-regulating smartcelTM clima fiber. This fiber is produced by smartfiber AG and contains huge advantages when processed in bedding.
You can watch the mdr report "simply genial" right here.

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German Innovation Price 2010 report from the Wirtschaftswoche, 03.05.2010 Nr. 18 (pages 95- 98) treat caries without drilling, measuring instruments against food pisons and cooling shirts: with which ideas the winners and finalists cleared the last hurdle of the German Innovation Price 2010. Times of crisis are times for innovation. While orders where missing, seemingly secure markets vanished and unexpected competitors appeared, many companies bethought of what mades them big: innovations. Many increased their research budgets. "But as soon as the crisis is gone, innovation loose its meaning on the perseption radar of managers", sais Bernd Kriegesmann of the institute for applied innovation research at the Ruhr-university in Bochum. Yet successful companies are united by the fact that innovation belongs to their identity. New ideas, business models and products are meticulously planned development and hard work for them. This support the stories of the winners and finallists of the German Innovation Price, which is organized by the Wirtschaftswoche together with Accenture, the energy supplier EnBW and the conglomerate Evonik. It took nearly a decade until Schott managed to convert all glass melts for ceramic hobs to a production without toxic heavy metals. The reward: Today the glas cermic of Mainz is the standard for a whole branche. Also the employees of the prosthetics producer DMG from Hamburg how they can treat caries with a liquid - without drilling. The solution they found already takes away the fear of visitings a denstist of thousands of patients - only a year after the new technique lauches the market. The examples also show how important it is, "to use new developments and techniques so that market-ready solutions arise from them", sais Frank Riemensperger, Germany-CEO of Accenture and jury member of the German Innovation Price. Winner Startup: Wellness-Fibers Solve Contradictions

Smartfiber for the first time produces functional fibers of natural ressources. This results in cooling shirts and antibacterial socks.

 

he last meters to the top. The feet are running hot. Trousers and shirt stick on the skin. Smartfiber-CEO Michael Kohne knows that: In his spare time her likes to climb on mountains. Therefore one of the newest achivements of his company expecially lies at his heart: Since 2008 smarfiber out of Rudolstadt near Erfurt produces the thermo fiber smartcel cllima. From this clothing may ba produces that cools climbers during summer and warms skiers during winter. The fabrics with cellulose from scandinavian trees are produced environmentally friendly and resource saving. "The raw material for our products could even be eaten," sais Kohne, who aims at a turnover of five million euro for this year.

funktional fibers of plant based cellulose For many years outdoor outfits mainly consisted of synthetic fibers. Sometimes they even were covered with harmful chemicals to resist wind and weathe. Yet the producers of outdoor products have a target group, that "wants to live lastingly and above all healthy", sais Klaus Engel, CEO of the chemistry giant Evonik from Essen and member of the jury of the German Innovation Price. "Synthetic fibers are a contradiction to that." This contradiction is solved by smartfiber. For the company combines natural fibers with intelligent functions. For the smartfiber became awarded with the first place od the German Innovation Price in the catagory Startup: "smartfiber was the first to produce functional fibers of plant based cellulose", sais jury member Engel. "It is a unique innovation with high market potential, because it serves two mega trends: resource effinciency and wellness." The word is spreading: the German brand Bogner plans a winter collection with the smartfiber-fiber. By now also beddings, sports underwear and socks are tailored from the fabrics as well as golf pants and protective clothes from Hiltl. 1,2 tons of fibers per day The temperature regulating textiles function according to an easy principle: The celllulose fibers are saturated with wax, which melts above 25 degrees celsius. During this it absorbes heat from the environment, for examle from the skin. As soon as the body cools the melted wax re-emits its heat. Nearly 1,2 tons of fibers are produced by smartfiber evrey day. Everything is imediately reselled: The company estimates, that 2010 the turnover only with this product will imore than double compared to the previous year. This would correspond to 2,4 millionen Euro and be great success - particularly if one considers, that the researchers from the Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research TITK in Rudolstadt had the idea for the wax saturated natural fiber only two years ago. Due to the cooperation with the think tank TITK smartfiber comes to circa two innovations per year. Only in November Kohne presented its customers a fiber with pharma class 4 zinc oxide namd smartcel sensitive. Zinc fastens the wound healing and soothes irritated skin. By now the product is woven in baby and kids clothing, underwear, t-shirts, bathrobes and bed linens. And in Kohne's head already new product ideas are floating around: For example a fiber with cream for skin care or sun protection. One could make summerclothing out of that. Some kind of cosmetical dress? Kohne smiles: "Women will love that." german PDF-Version of the article  

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report from Handelsblatt Nr. 084 of 03.05.2010 page 35 of Sebastian Matthes caries treatment without drilling, functional shirts of natural fibers and environmentally freindly produced ceramic hobs The winners of the German Price for Innovation 2010 could not be more different: At the end the jury was convinced by glass specialist Schott from Mainz, prosthetics producer DMG from Hamburg and the Thuringian startup smartfiber with innovations, that have the potential to change markets. The price, which was arranged by "Wirtschaftswoche" with the management consultancy Accenture, the energy group EnBW and the chemistry giant Evonik, was given in the categories large concern, medium sized businesses and startup. As part of a gala in the hotel Bayerischer Hof the winners as well as those companies nominated for the final round where honored on freiday in Munich. To the many prominent guests of the evening belonged Georg and Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler of the Schaeffler-Group, Siemens-CFO Joe Kaeser, Hans-Werner Sinn, president of the ifo institute, and Tina Müller, Corporate Senior Vice President of Henkel. Chairman of the price jury was "Wirtschaftswoche"-chief editor Roland Tichy. Winner in the catagory larger concerns became with Schott AG from Mainz a leading technology concern reknown worldwide. The glas specialists convinced with a technique, which allows to produce glass ceramic hobs without highly toxic heavy metals like arsenic or antimony for the first time. After more than ten years of development and optimization of the production all black cermic hobs are produced without those toxic substances. They were considerd as irreplaceable in the world wide glas ceramic production. Thus Schott beomes the forerunner of a whole line of business: "Schott proofes that sustainability has to be integrated into the core business and may not be left to gooders", praised Stephan Scholtissek, Global Managing Director of the management consultancy Accenture and member of thhe jury of the German Innovation Price. The dental specialist DMG made it on the podium of the category medium sized companies. The company convinced the jury with a new substance named icon. With that dentists may cure caries without drilling. If this liquid comes into contact with carious teeth it instantly fights the bacteria. Subsequently the substance filles the enamel and seals up the tooth. "This technique holds an innovational potential, which may become important for a whole branche", said jury member Hans-Peter Villis, head of energy supplier EnBW. DMG is already able to report considerable success: A year after the start of sales already 5000 dentists treat patients with icon. In the catagory startup smartfiber where awarded as winners. The company form Rudolstadt near Erfurt produces high tech functional fibers out of natural resources. Out of that arise for example temperature regulating shirts, that cool wanderers during summer and warm them during winter. For years outdoor outfints where mostly made of synthetics. Sometimes they even where covered with harmful chemistrys to restist wind and weather. At the same time producers of outdoor products have a target group, that "wants to live lastingly and above all healthy", said Klaus Engel, CEO of the chemistry giant Evonik and also member of the jury of the German Innovation Price. "synthetic fibers are a contradiction to that." This contradiction is solved by smarfiber. The award ceremony in Munic was at the same time prolouge for the tender of the German Innovation Price 2011. " I hope that the contest sets new impulses, so that innovational potentials are fully exploited and our country of ideas becomes even more known", thus the patron of the Innovation Price, federal minister of economics Rainer Brüderle. Approved for evaluation are concerns, medium sized companies and startupf of all industries. Besides products als business midels, processes, services and marketing instruments are awarded. Application is only possible via internet under www.der-deutsche-innovationspreis.de . german PDF-Version of the article

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