Innovation is the motor of industry

"Innovations are indispensable for agricultural technology companies and as a result a key contributor to the long-term success of a company". With these words Klaus Pöttinger opened the prize-giving ceremony for the Pöttinger Engineering Contest. Throughout the history of the grassland specialist company - going back more than 140 years - developers have always focussed on optimum chopping quality and the resulting improvement in forage quality for healthy and high-yield animals. In addition to their own creativity, the family-owned company is always on the lookout for innovative ideas from outside. "Bring order to the chaos", was the motto of the Engineering Contest, involving the optimisation of stalk alignment to improve chopping quality on-board the loader wagon or any other harvesting process. The results were impressive: 13,407 visitors from 83 countries, 574 registered members submitted 112 ideas. The ideas were assessed based on innovation and creativity, intuitiveness and readiness for implementation.

First prize went to Germany: the high-ranking jury rated Gisela Fuchs´ ´rake conveyor unit´ as the most innovative idea. The other prizes went to the Austrians: in second place Peter Pölzleitner from Salzburg with his ´vibrating tine conveyor belt´. In third place Florian Tautscher from Carinthia with his ´crop comb´. The special prize for an alternative solution using a press-type chopping system went to Stefan Edtbauer from Upper Austria.

"This ideas competition is another example of the commitment and dedication with which Pöttinger works on innovations," says Klaus Pöttinger proudly. The winning idea will be implemented in the form of a vocational project over the next few months.