Kettenbach once more elected a champion of innovation

Kettenbach once more elected a champion of innovation Let go of the old and brave the new: Innovative medium-sized businesses such as Kettenbach GmbH & Co. KG in Eschenburg, Germany, have no fear of change, instead embracing it as an opportunity. The company impressed with this attitude once again in the 27th year of the TOP 100 competition for innovation. In the scientifically rigorous selection procedure, the company excelled particularly in the categories “Innovationdriven top management” and “Innovative processes and organization”.

Kettenbach is among the top innovators for the third consecutive year. The medium-sized business from Eschenburg in the state of Hessen with its dental division supplies dentists and dental laboratories with chemically based dental consumables. The medical division of the threetime top innovator produces special sponge materials that are used, for example, in wound care or as a carrier material for allergy tests. Jens Kuhn, president of Kettenbach, referred to the research and development that underpins the company’s success: “Since 2016 we have generated 13 national and 17 international patents in a continuous and well-organized process.” Top management rewards employees in the Research and Development team whose ideas have potential for patents using a formalized innovation process. Independently of this, managers in all departments evaluate suggestions for improvements from the entire workforce. Jens Kuhn emphasizes: “Appreciating and honoring innovative performance of any type is a key component of our business culture.” This enables the company to positively shape the future. Read more about the company at www.kettenbach.com. TOP 100: The competition The initiator compamedia has awarded the TOP 100 seal to medium-sized enterprises for exceptional innovation and innovative success since 1993. The scientific administration has been in the hands of Professor Nikolaus Franke since 2002. Professor Franke is the founder and chair of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Vienna. The mentor of TOP 100 is the science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partners are the Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research and the German Association for SMEs (BVMW), manager magazin, impulse and W&V report on comparing the companies as the media partners. More information at www.top100.de.