Prestigious award recognizes inventiveness and entrepreneurial courage
Hans Beckhoff, Managing Director and founder of Beckhoff Automation, a technology company headquartered in Verl, was honored with the widely acclaimed Rudolf Diesel Medal 2025. Hans Beckhoff received this prestigious award in the Most Successful Innovation Achievement category at the award ceremony held at the MAN Museum in Augsburg on July 10. This medal honors him as a visionary pioneer in automation technology.
The Rudolf Diesel Medal is one of the most renowned and long-standing awards for pioneering achievement in Europe. It recognizes the significance of the culture of innovation in Germany and honors inventiveness and entrepreneurial courage. It is awarded by the German Institute for Inventions (Deutsche Institut für Erfindungswesen, D.I.E. e.V.) and honors people and companies that have made a significant contribution to society by improving quality of life, prosperity, and preserving the culture of innovation in Germany, thus inspiring the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs.
Hans Beckhoff: An innovative pioneer who shapes industry
The Rudolf Diesel Board of Trustees, which consists of around 60 leading technology directors and managing directors of medium-sized global market leaders, has recognized Hans Beckhoff as a visionary pioneer who embodies the values of the Rudolf Diesel Medal through his corporate principles and strong social engagement. The jury honored Hans Beckhoff in the Most Successful Innovation Achievement category. This category focuses on innovative prowess and the company's overall impact on the economy.
Since the company was founded in 1980, Beckhoff's ethos has consistently been reflected in the company's technological innovations and revolutions, many of which have developed into global market standards in automation and have thus had a lasting impact on the industry.
Hans initiated a paradigm shift in automation with the PC-based control technology concept in 1985 and launched it on the market in 1986. This technology revolutionized previous principles and made the family-owned company a major player in the SME sector. With his tireless commitment to innovation and ability to turn visionary ideas into a commercial success, Beckhoff's company has become a leading technology manufacturer in the automation technology field. He consistently shapes the industry with innovative solutions and sets new standards that further the integration of IT technologies into automation. Beckhoff currently employs around 5,300 people across 41 subsidiaries and representative offices worldwide, achieving sales of €1.17 billion in 2024.
Prof. Dr. Gunther Herr, Professor of Comprehensive Business Innovation Strategies at Steinbeis University in Berlin and scientific advisor to the Diesel Medal Board of Trustees, attributes these 45 years of success to Beckhoff's technological and entrepreneurial foresight, his innovative, pioneering thinking, and his unstinting creativeness. He has built up an owner-managed company that is supported by people-centered values and is above all characterized by trust and the courage to innovate. With PC-based control, Beckhoff has established automation as the foundation technology for products across many sectors of society and constantly pushes performance limits throughout the industry.
Beckhoff technology is characterized by software-based rather than hardware-based control technology, integration of IT and automation technology, ultra-fast and reliable communication technology, highly optimized drive technology and deep embedding of AI functionality. It is successfully used by many customers worldwide to control the latest manufacturing machinery, buildings, technical processes, scientific experiments, and big stage shows to name a few.
Beckhoff's message to the next generation: "Inventing is fun"
"I feel very honored and want to thank the Board of Trustees for this honor," says Hans Beckhoff and goes on to explain. "We've aimed to present evolutionary technologies every year and launch a real revolution on the market every five to seven years since the company was founded in 1980. I've held fast to this guiding principle for 45 years now." He then gave his take on being an innovator: "The world is a big, diverse space that offers a lot of opportunities. As an entrepreneur, all you have to do – and this is easier said than done – is seize your chance, recognize pioneering technologies and trends, and generate progress with your own inventions. I'm proud of our innovative spirit and the technologies that have come from it." In his acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Hans Beckhoff said: "The Rudolf Diesel Medal that has been given to me today is, of course, not for me alone – it has been awarded to our entire company. Over 600 developers and product managers work in development every day, looking to create new advanced automation products. Over 2,000 employees worldwide work closely with customers, support our users, and listen to their wishes and requirements. Our customers have therefore also contributed to our success as an inventing company, through their feedback on our products, and through their own ideas. This collaborative partnership sets us apart and brings us great joy." Hans Beckhoff and his company are currently working on the Automation Brain, which is intended to give machinery its own intelligence and personality, similar to the human brain. "There's still a lot of potential for innovation in automation," he emphasizes.
He also has a message for the next generation of engineers: "Inventing is fun. That eureka moment, when an idea takes shape and becomes clear, or when something works for the first time is a wonderful experience. Don't give up and keep working on your inventions – it's worth it, just for that moment alone!"
Profile: Hans Beckhoff
Hans Beckhoff (71) is the Managing Director, owner, and founder of Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co KG. After studying physics at the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Münster, where he obtained his diploma in nuclear physics in 1980, he immediately founded Beckhoff Automation. Since then, the company has developed dynamically and has emerged as a global technology leader for automation technology. Hans Beckhoff is a PC-based control technology pioneer. He developed this technology in 1985 and launched it in 1986. Over the following years, the company developed numerous key technologies for both the hardware and software sectors. Notable products include the Lightbus, an early fiber-optic-based fieldbus, which was launched in 1989, the bus terminal, which has established itself as a foundation block for automation, followed in 1995, and the EtherCAT real-time Ethernet system was launched in 2003, and has now become a global standard for industrial communication. According to Beckhoff, the new MX-System – modular hardware that is set to replace the control cabinet – is currently triggering a revolution in the automation hardware field. Hans Beckhoff has over 45 years of experience in automation technology and holds numerous patents. He constantly seeks to simplify complex automation technology and make it more powerful and efficient in order to bring about innovative leaps that shape the future of industrial production. He states: "Highly advanced automation is vital when it comes to meeting both economic and ecological requirements. This is our obligation to society, as engineers". With its revolutionary futuristic technology, developed and produced in Verl, East Westphalia, Beckhoff Automation constantly pushes the performance limits of automation and thus contributes to progress.
The Rudolf Diesel Medals
These medals are the oldest innovation award in Europe and were created to commemorate the life's work of Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine. The award was established in 1953 by his son, Eugen Diesel. The history of this inventor award, which is unique in Germany, began when the first Rudolf Diesel Medal was presented in 1953. Since then, it has been regarded as the highest honor for individuals and institutions that contribute to improving society through their innovative prowess and success. The Rudolf Diesel Medal is awarded by the German Institute for Inventions (Deutsche Institut für Erfindungswesen, D.I.E. e.V.), based on the following criteria: innovativeness, sustainability, social benefit, and economic impact. The medals are awarded annually across the following categories: Most Successful Innovation Achievement, Most Sustainable Innovation Achievement, Best Innovation Promotion, and Best Media Communication.