Fritz Kübler Among the Top 3 Innovators

Fritz Kübler GmbH was recognized at the TOP 100 Awards as one of Germany’s most innovative medium-sized companies. By placing third in Size Category C, the jury specifically recognized the company’s culture of innovation, rapid decision-making, and consistent customer focus.

Fritz Kübler GmbH is one of Germany’s three most innovative medium-sized companies. In the TOP 100 innovation competition, the family-owned company took third place in Size Category C for companies with more than 200 employees in Germany. Former Federal President Christian Wulff presented the award to the executive board and management of the Kübler Group during the German SME Summit on June 26 in Heidelberg.

This marks the fourth time the company has been named one of the TOP 100 innovators. In the scientifically supervised selection process, Kübler particularly stood out in the categories of innovation culture and decision-making speed.

Freedom to Innovate Fosters New Ideas

The company’s culture of innovation is evident, among other things, in an internal ideas competition. After a customer project was delayed, Kübler launched an in-house competition modeled after the TV show “The Lion’s Den.” Seven development teams were given four months to develop new product ideas and turn them into functional prototypes. “We deliberately gave our developers a great deal of freedom. Within clearly defined parameters, they were able to give free rein to their creativity,” the company explains. The competition yielded numerous innovations that have since been incorporated into new product generations. “The collective intelligence of our employees generates outstanding ideas,” says Lothar Kübler. “Innovation is a task for the entire company. We’ve created a culture where everyone can actively contribute.”

“My Day” as a Dedicated Innovation Day

To foster this approach on an ongoing basis, employees in R&D can step away from their day-to-day work every other Friday. During “My Day,” cross-functional teams work on new ideas and develop creative solutions. The teams organize their own meetings, while the company provides the time and, if necessary, the budget.

Customers at the Center of Development

According to the company, new technologies are developed in close collaboration with customers, universities, technology partners, and experts. Greenfield and brownfield technology workshops, as well as close collaboration between development, product management, and application engineering, form the foundation for new solutions. This continuously results in new encoders, sensors, slip rings, and systems for measurement, data transmission, and analysis.

In the future, Kübler plans to expand its portfolio both horizontally and vertically. In addition to its core products, complete subsystems for OEMs, software solutions, digital twins, and predictive maintenance concepts are set to gain in importance. At the same time, the company is further developing its customer interaction under the guiding principle “Easy to work with” through digital tools and service innovations.

With this latest award, the Kübler Group sees its strategy—combining technological innovation with consistent customer focus to lay the foundation for sustainable growth—as validated.