The German Innovation Awards ceremony took place at the German Museum of Technology in Berlin on 28 May, where hand tool manufacturer Wiha received the Gold award for its e-screwdriver speedE®. Two representatives from the company accepted the trophy for their invention, the tool which makes manual screw-driving incredibly easier.
There was much celebration at Wiha HQ in the Black Forest town of Schonach. After winning the German Design Award 2019 in Gold, the e-screwdriver’s innovative capacity has now also been awarded gold by the German Design Council. The German Innovation Award honours cross-sector products and solutions which primarily differ from previous solutions due to a focus on users and added value.
With speedE®, Wiha has managed to further develop a conventional screwdriver into an electrically driven fastening tool using hybrid technology. Tailored precisely to electrician trade user needs, this invention revolutionises the existing manual screw fastening process.
Andreas Beh, Wiha Developer, travelled from the Black Forest to Berlin with Product Development Manager Holger Knaust to receive the trophy from Andrej Kupetz, CEO of the German Design Council. “speedE® is creating its own tool category and fills a gap in needs in the fastening tool market. As the “e-bike” of screwdrivers, it combines automatic screw-fastening with retention of manual control,” explains Beh, adding, “This makes work significantly easier for users. We are enormously pleased that the jury has recognised and honoured this potential.”
The jury evaluation includes criteria such as degree of innovation, user benefits and cost efficiency. Factors such as location and employment potential, long service life, market maturity, technical quality and function, applicability and synergy effects also play a key role in the decision process. For e-trade users, the speedE® excels in its own very special way: combining it with the insulation-protected slimBits, users can safely work in an electrically live environment with voltages up to 1,000 V while also protecting their health and conserving energy. The two-time prize winner is comparable with conventional screwdrivers in terms of size, weight and format.
Holger Knaust is delighted with this additional prestigious award, “For our entire developer team and all other departments involved in creating the speedE®, this honour is great recognition of our achievement and highlights the innovative spirit behind speedE®.”
