Recognized for Eco-Friendliness

SCHOTT solutions no. 1/2010> Ceran® Glass-Ceramic Cooktops

Pleased with the award: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Udo Ungeheuer (left), Chairman of the Board of Management of SCHOTT AG, and glass-ceramic developer Dr. Friedrich Siebers. Photo: SCHOTT/K. Weddig

Recognized for Eco-friendliness

SCHOTT wins the German Innovation Award 2010 for its Ceran® glass-ceramic cooktops.

Birgit Kranzusch

The key to innovation lies in research and innovations are what drive successful companies. ”Made in Germany” is still very much in demand, and it seems that there are plenty more of them in the pipeline. SCHOTT has helped to shape this development with its customized and pioneering products. For its innovations in the areas of product development, manufacturing and marketing on behalf of the SCHOTT Ceran® brand, SCHOTT was recently awarded the German Innovation Award in the category large companies at an event hosted by the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology.

”The environmentally friendly manufacturing process that is used by SCHOTT represents the real innovation ...”

Note from the Jury

For its innovations in the areas of product development, manufacturing and marketing of the brand SCHOTT Ceran®, SCHOTT was awarded the German Innovation Award in the large companies category. Photo: SCHOTT/C. Costard

”Environmental awareness has become an important issue in the kitchen as well that continues to take on greater relevance for consumers,” notes Prof. Dr.-Ing. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of the Board of Management of SCHOTT AG. ”This is a trend that we recognized and acted on early,” he adds. The Mainz-based company is the only manufacturer in the world that uses a patented melting technology to produce a glass-ceramic cooktop panel that doesn’t contain the toxic heavy metals arsenic and antimony. With this innovation, SCHOTT keeps expanding its market leadership because sustainable products are becoming more and more important, not only for ecological, but also for competitive and image reasons.

The latest generation of environmentally-friendly SCHOTT Ceran® glass-ceramic cooktop panels also offers the capability of having blue light shine through.
Photo: SCHOTT/Montage: Unit Design

This innovation from SCHOTT also convinced the German Innovation Award jury that recognizes companies that change the business and the market through their power of innovation. ”The environmentally friendly manufacturing process that is used by SCHOTT represents the real innovation. This allows for Ceran® glass-ceramic cooktop panels to continue to be manufactured in Germany, although regulations on handling hazardous substances have become more strict,“ the jury noted. SCHOTT can proudly claim that it achieved the full market penetration of this non-contaminating manufacturing technology in 2010.

Further enhancing this technology is also worthy of receiving an award. Research and further development have culminated in a new feature that also convinced the jury. For the first time ever, it will now be possible to use blue, instead of the usual red LED displays and interfaces in cooktop panels. Here, too, SCHOTT proved to be a source of inspiration to the industry and a strong partner for home appliance manufacturers because this innovation enables customized design and more esthetic looking kitchens. Thanks to the novel black glass-ceramic cooktop introduced to the market in 2009, an even greater variety of design alternatives that incorporate light elements will be added under the name ”Cooking & Light” in the near future. In addition, the jury found the marketing strategy to be ”outstanding”. As part of how the company works together with appliance manufacturers and with the help of a selective information campaign, the eco-friendly manufacturing process used with SCHOTT Ceran® is also being put to use as a selling point that allows the company to stand out clearly from the competition. This has resulted in higher brand awareness among both the trade and end users. At the same time, the environmentally friendly image and market position of the company and its partners are strengthened.

For SCHOTT, this honor reinforces the importance of spending money on research. ”We will continue to develop more and more innovative products that meet our customers’ needs and create new trends through our research work,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ungeheuer.

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