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A "smart" production system for "smart" and high-quality measuring devices: this impressed the jury of the Industry 4.0 Alliance. On December 6, 2017, Lorenz was honored by Minister of Economic Affairs Hoffmeister-Kraut as one of the "100 Locations for Industry 4.0" in Baden-Württemberg. With this award, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the VDMA recognize Lorenz radio water meters and the associated state-of-the-art production facilities as a groundbreaking industrial achievement for quality products Made in Germany.
"Being counted among the 100 pioneers of Industry 4.0 in Baden-Württemberg, a high-tech region home to major corporations and research institutions, makes us very proud. The jury's assessment reinforces our conviction that it is not cheap products, but genuine quality and added value for customers that ultimately pays off for everyone involved," says Lorenz Managing Director Wilhelm Mauß.
State-of-the-art production for smart meters
After several years of development and an investment volume of several million euros, the new production system was gradually put into operation in 2017/2018. The digitalized production system makes it possible to combine cost efficiency with a wide range of product variants: a high degree of flexibility and maximum alignment with customer requirements are combined with economic efficiency. Production is optimized in terms of time, costs and quality, as well as availability, delivery reliability and inventory levels.
In doing so, Lorenz is once again committing itself to production in Germany and to its employees at its long-established location, contrary to the industry trend. Networked production not only makes it possible to manage the complexity of increasingly diverse requirements: the resulting quality products and services create genuine added value for customers - and thus a decisive competitive advantage for Germany as a business location.
Industry 4.0 Alliance
The Industry 4.0 Alliance is a network initiated and supported by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs. Together with its participating partner organizations, it pools expertise in production technology as well as information and communication technology and supports industrial small and medium-sized enterprises on their path toward Industry 4.0. The coordination office is based at the Baden-Württemberg regional association of the VDMA.
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"Key company for smart metering and Water Supply 4.0": Under the patronage of Minister of State for Digitalization Dorothee Bär, Lorenz was honored on June 28, 2019, as a nationwide digital pioneer with the prestigious Digital Leader Award for "Germany’s Best Digitalization Strategy".
The jury, consisting of digitalization experts from business, academia and society, emphasized that Lorenz had transformed itself from a traditional manufacturing company into a pioneer in digitalization through "persistence, engineering expertise, willingness to change and innovative concepts". With the Digital Leader Award, Lorenz joins the ranks of other award winners from this and previous years, including Daimler, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Axel Springer and FC Bayern München.
Nationwide digitalization award
Since 2016, the Digital Leader Initiative has used the Digital Leader Award to recognize companies and projects across all industries that set the benchmark for digitalization in Germany. The patron of the Digital Leader Initiative is Minister of State for Digitalization Dorothee Bär.
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"Saving the environment and the climate through the circular economy": Lorenz radio water meters are the "Product of the Year 2019" of the MOVECO Innovation Award within the framework of the European Union (EU) Interreg Programme.
An international jury of circular economy experts from the partner countries selected Lorenz as the winner in the category "Medium-sized Enterprises". Markus Achleitner, Provincial Minister for Economic Affairs of Upper Austria, presented the award at a formal ceremony in Linz.
International circular economy award
With the MOVECO Innovation Award, the MOVECO project, as part of the European Union’s Interreg Programme, presents an innovation award for products and services from the circular economy. The award provides creative, forward-looking companies with an international platform. Two German partners are involved in the project: Bayerische Forschungsallianz GmbH (BayFOR) from Munich and Trägerverein Umwelttechnologie-Cluster Bayern e.V. from Augsburg.
"Proves that environmental protection is possible in industry and production"
The highest quality and optimal measuring characteristics allow Lorenz measuring devices to be used for many years across several calibration periods, followed by take-back and remanufacturing. This concept has been further optimized in the latest generation of smart water meters. With a product volume of 1 million smart meters, Lorenz saves 400 tonnes of lead-free brass, 200 tonnes of plastics and 160 tonnes of electronics annually, as well as 3,156 tonnes of CO2 and six million kWh of electricity per year – equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of 1,664 Austrian households.
“The creative energy demonstrated by the applicants and winners in their circular economy innovations is inspiring. The projects prove that environmental protection, sustainability, resource efficiency and the circular economy are possible in all areas of industry and production,” emphasized Provincial Minister for Economic Affairs Markus Achleitner. “Each of the winning projects reduces the CO2 footprint, is biodegradable or reusable, conserves resources and thereby protects the environment and the climate.”
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Consistent environmental protection and Industry 4.0 go hand in hand at Lorenz. That is why the company has not only been recognized as one of the state’s digitalization pioneers, but also as one of the "100 Companies for Resource Efficiency" - making this combination virtually unique. As early as 2016, the Ministry of the Environment, participating associations and the Baden-Württemberg portal for environmental technology and resource efficiency honored Lorenz for a comprehensive remanufacturing concept that significantly reduces material consumption and environmental impacts while maintaining the competitiveness of high-quality materials. The award was presented by Environment Minister Franz Untersteller during the Baden-Württemberg Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Congress in Karlsruhe. Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann was also in attendance.
It works: the circular economy protects the environment and maintains the competitiveness of high-quality materials
Due to calibration legislation and requirements for measuring accuracy, water meters must be replaced at regular intervals, even though many components of high-quality products remain in perfect condition after use and removal. This forms the basis of a concept unique within the industry: taking back residential water meters replaced by metering service providers and water suppliers for disassembly and remanufacturing, so that as many components as possible can be returned to the production cycle. This reduces material consumption and environmental impacts by 30%, and in future by as much as 80% with the latest generation of radio water meters. By contrast, low-cost products can only be disposed of after a single installation, which even incurs additional costs.
A decisive factor in the concept’s success is that remanufacturing also proves economically viable. After all, customers not only benefit from using high-quality measuring devices, but also gain an economic advantage: the products are not only the clear winner in terms of total cost of ownership, but remain superior to plastic alternatives even when comparing unit prices alone. Resource efficiency and environmental protection therefore become a competitive advantage for quality water meters Made in Germany.
Industry-wide pioneering role in sustainability also helps safeguard Germany as a business location
The employees and management of Lorenz GmbH & Co. KG are proud that, particularly as a medium-sized company, they can contribute to a more sustainable economy and serve as a pioneer across the industry. The efforts involved in the recycling process are not only part of the company’s self-image as a responsible business. Through all of their effects, the measures initially focused on environmental concerns also help secure the company’s market position and strengthen Germany as a business location in the long term.
About "100 Companies for Resource Efficiency"
The "100 Companies for Resource Efficiency" project is a key component of the "Alliance for Greater Resource Efficiency" between the state government and the state’s leading business associations, including the State Association of Industry (LVI) and the regional organizations of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (BWIHK), the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI). The project is professionally supported and organizationally coordinated by a consortium consisting of the Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC) at Pforzheim University and Umwelttechnik BW, the state agency for environmental technology and resource efficiency.
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Quality, reliability, sustainability: Lorenz embodies the values of German medium-sized businesses and actively acknowledges its responsibility toward people and the environment. This is not only a moral commitment, but has always formed the basis of long-term corporate success. In recognition of its commitment to corporate responsibility, Lorenz was awarded the "Ethics in Business" seal of values. The distinction is based on an assessment conducted by the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St. Gallen.
The following six areas of action were examined:
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In a row with big names - Volvo Cars, London City Airport, DHL, Total, Walmart - Lorenz will now also be listed as the winner of the Innovation Excellence Award 2022.
On March 24, 2022, three independent experts chose Lorenz as the winner of the award in the Circular Economy category. In the final round, Lorenz was able to prevail against strong competitor Shell and was pleased to receive another prestigious award on his way from a rural manufacturing company to becoming a technology leader for smart metering and as a pioneer in the circular economy sector.
"Impressive and fascinating development achievements": The digital G*SM (Green Smart Meter) residential water meter was honored with the Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Award.
On July 16, 2019, Environment Minister Franz Untersteller recognized the highly accurate and fully connected residential water meter with second prize in the "Material Efficiency" category at an official award ceremony in Stuttgart.
The state’s most innovative products and processes
The Baden-Württemberg Environmental Technology Award is presented every two years and carries total prize money of 100,000 euros. It recognizes outstanding examples of innovation and sustainability.
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The German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) have honored Lorenz as a national pioneer in smart metering and the circular economy with one of Germany’s highest corporate awards.
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federation of German Industries have awarded Lorenz the German Innovation Award for Climate and Environment. The award recognizes the development and intelligently networked production of fully recyclable smart meters, as well as their take-back and remanufacturing as part of a comprehensive circular economy concept. Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze praised the award winners.
The German Innovation Award for Climate and Environment (IKU) is one of the highest distinctions a company can receive in Germany. Every two years, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) honor national role models from business and research. Across seven categories, the organizers recognize innovative technologies, techniques, methods, processes, products, services and business models that demonstrate new approaches to climate and environmental protection. The award carries total prize money of 175,000 euros.
From more than 140 companies and research institutions, the distinguished jury chaired by Prof. Ottmar Edenhofer (Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, PIK) selected Lorenz GmbH & Co. KG for first place in the category “Environmentally Friendly Products and Services”. The award recognizes a comprehensive circular economy concept. The smart water meters developed by the medium-sized family business enable precise flow measurement, efficient and secure data transmission, and intelligent analysis in water networks. This helps prevent water waste while significantly simplifying processes for water suppliers, municipalities and metering service providers.
Because the water meters are made from high-quality materials and durability and recyclability are taken into account throughout the entire development and production process, Lorenz can take them back after use and after replacement due to statutory calibration requirements, and recycle them either in their entirety or component by component to the greatest possible extent. This saves hundreds of tonnes of raw materials and millions of kilowatt-hours of electrical energy every year, along with the associated environmental impacts and CO2 emissions. The resulting savings in material costs enable production in Germany to remain competitive with low-cost products manufactured in low-wage countries.
After the award ceremony could not take place in Berlin as planned due to the coronavirus pandemic, Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze honored the award winners in a video message.
Lorenz was honored with the VR Innovation Award of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken for outstanding achievements in research and development. The award was presented by the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg together with TV presenter Gundula Gause (ZDF heute journal).
The award recognized the development of a hybrid water meter. Just like today’s state-of-the-art Lorenz radio water meters, their predecessors already offered excellent measuring characteristics. The development at the time of a hybrid water meter combining a mechanical register with an electronic radio module represented a major breakthrough in metering technology and remains a successful alternative to fully electronic residential water meters to this day.
With the German Raw Materials Efficiency Award, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy recognizes outstanding examples of resource- and material-efficient products, processes or services, as well as application-oriented research results. Under the technical direction of the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA), up to four companies and one research institution are awarded the German Raw Materials Efficiency Award each year.
Companies based in Germany with up to 1,000 employees, as well as non-profit research institutions such as university institutes, universities of applied sciences, Fraunhofer institutes and Steinbeis centers, are eligible to participate.
The award recognizes examples that increase raw material and material efficiency, for example in the areas of raw material extraction and processing, recycling, product design with reduced raw material and material requirements, substitution of primary raw materials, and redesign of the production environment.
The winners of the 2022 German Raw Materials Efficiency Award will be honored at an official award ceremony in summer 2022 at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). All companies and research institutions nominated for the award will not only be given a prominent platform in front of an audience in Berlin, but will also receive a professionally produced video about their submitted project, which they can use as part of their public relations activities.
The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) and the Regional Hubs for Sustainability Strategies (RENN) honored Lorenz as a "Sustainability Project 2019" for its commitment to corporate responsibility and its leading technological solutions for the water supply of the future. The award recognizes initiatives and projects that "take a forward-looking approach to sustainable development and contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals".
The award ceremony will take place on September 23, 2019, at the Stadthalle Fürth.