BEMAS Innovation Awards

Are you an asset owner or trade fair visitor interested in innovations that do not primarily rely on software to make a difference?
The BEMAS Maintenance Innovation Award recognizes solutions that tangibly improve the way installations are maintained, operated and managed—delivering proven impact on reliability, safety, costs and sustainability.

Below are the categories.

1. Asset Reliability & Maintainability Improvements

Innovations that demonstrably improve the reliability and/or maintainability of specific assets, lines or installations.

• Design changes and retrofits to machines or installations
• Improved bearing arrangements, seals, suspensions, drives, valves, etc.
• Layout, accessibility and modularity improvements to simplify maintenance
• Built-in features for inspection, alignment, condition checks and fast replacement
• Test and measurement setups aimed at increasing asset reliability

2. Sustainable & Circular Maintenance

Innovations that make maintenance more sustainable and circular, enabling life extension, efficient resource use and reduced environmental impact.

• Energy efficiency: maintenance and design measures that reduce asset energy consumption
• Emission reduction & prevention: solutions that prevent or reduce emissions, leaks and losses
• Refurbishment, repair and upgrade concepts that extend asset lifetime
• Maintenance-friendly designs (design for maintenance / design for reliability)
• Materials and coatings that limit wear, corrosion and ageing, extending asset life

3. Safety, Ergonomics & Human Factors in Maintenance

Innovations that make maintenance work safer, more ergonomic and more human-centered.

• Lockout/tagout systems, physical safety devices and clear safety procedures
• Ergonomic tools, aids and workstations that reduce physical strain
• Solutions that limit exposure to hazardous substances, heights, explosive environments or other risks
• Concepts and tools that reduce human error (Poka Yoke, clear interfaces, visual management solutions)
• Applications of robots, cobots and assistive tools that take over hazardous or heavy tasks

4. Maintenance Services & Business Models

New or innovative maintenance services and contract models that elevate collaboration and result-driven performance.

• Performance-based and availability-based maintenance contracts
• Outsourcing and shared-service concepts for maintenance and reliability
• OEM and service provider offerings with proven impact on TCO and asset performance
• Integrated maintenance and service approaches (e.g. one-stop maintenance, turnkey services)
• Innovative collaboration models between asset owner, OEM and service provider

5. Skills, Training & Competence Development

Innovations that strengthen skills, improve training and secure knowledge in maintenance and asset management.

• Practice-oriented training methods, simulators and training environments for technicians and engineers
• Competency profiles, matrices and assessment methods for maintenance and asset management roles
• Methods and tools to prevent knowledge loss and ensure knowledge retention (mentorship, job aids, knowledge bases, …)
• Solutions that support the inflow of new talent into maintenance and asset management
• Training and coaching concepts focused on reliability, asset management, safety and sustainability

6. Maintenance & Asset Management Concepts

New or innovative concepts, methods and frameworks with proven impact on performance, costs, risk and sustainability.

• Integrated maintenance and asset management models (e.g. combinations of TPM, RCM, RBI, Lean, …)
• New or improved approaches to life cycle costing, risk-based decision-making and criticality analysis
• Organizational concepts for maintenance and asset management teams (e.g. centralization/decentralization, competence centers)
• Roadmaps and frameworks for transitions toward reliability-based, risk-based or sustainability-driven maintenance
• Practical cases where a concept demonstrably leads to better performance, lower costs, reduced risk or higher sustainability

As an exhibitor, you may submit one innovation for one of the two awards. You should select the main category that best matches the core and added value of your solution.
Not sure where your innovation fits best? The guidelines below will help you decide.

1) Digital Innovation Award or Maintenance Innovation Award?

Choose the BEMAS Digital Innovation Award if:

• your innovation is essentially digital (software, platform, AI, IoT, AR/VR, OT security, …);
• the key innovation lies in data, algorithms, digital workflows or user interfaces.

Choose the BEMAS Maintenance Innovation Award if:

• your innovation mainly focuses on physical assets, mechanical or electromechanical solutions, processes, services, materials or organizational concepts;
• the digital component is supportive, but not the core of the innovation.

Does your solution combine digital and non-digital elements?
Then look at where the distinctive innovation lies:

• if the strength is in software, data or digital intelligence → Digital Innovation Award
• if the strength is in the asset, process, service or concept → Maintenance Innovation Award

2) Choosing the right category within your award

• Start from your own positioning: how do you normally present your product or service to customers?
• Then select the category that best reflects this positioning.

Is your innovation a clear cross-over?

• Choose one main category
• Briefly explain in your submission which other domains your innovation also touches

The jury explicitly takes into account innovations that bridge multiple disciplines.

Still unsure about the right award or category?
Feel free to contact BEMAS. We are happy to help you ensure your innovation is submitted in the right category and presented at its best.