• Voith technology prevails over more than 300 competitors
• First commercial order for StreamDiver
• Innovation to leverage additional potential of hydropower

Voith has reached the final of the German Industry Innovation Awards 2014, which will be presented this Saturday in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. The company was propelled into the final by its newly developed StreamDiver hydropower plant concept and its entry has gained it a place in the top 4 of the large enterprises category, fending off more than 300 rivals. The German Industry Innovation Awards are the first innovation awards in the world and honour the most important achievements of German industry in the four categories of scientific, technical, entrepreneurial and intellectual innovation.

"We are delighted to have reached the final for the Innovation Awards and are excited to see whether we have won," commented Dr Roland Münch, Chairman of the Management Board of Voith Hydro. "The nomination acknowledges Voith's spirit of innovation and our constant contribution to advancing hydropower technology". Voith has been the global leader in the hydropower industry for more than 140 years and has played a crucial role in driving research and development. Hydropower is the oldest form of renewable energy but it still has great potential for innovation.

First commercial order placed
Just a few days ago, Voith reached an important milestone in the development of StreamDiver: Following a successful, bug-free test run of a first prototype for a period of more than a year and its development to series maturity, the first commercial order for StreamDiver was recently signed for a project in Sweden.

Compact, reliable and efficient
The StreamDiver by Voith, which was nominated for the final of the German Innovation Awards, is a turbine generator unit in the field of small hydropower, constructed to be compact, simple and therefore low- maintenance. In addition to the technical and ecological benefits, this innovative product provides the opportunity to develop new and previously unusable hydropower locations. The StreamDiver's construction means it can be used in sites where it has previously been impossible economically or for environmental protection reasons. For example, existing weirs and dams can be used to generate electricity and the environmental impact of such an installation can be reduced to a minimum. The StreamDiver technology can thus make a sustainable contribution to the continuing expansion of climate-friendly energy production.

The winners of the German Innovation Awards are chosen by a board of trustees formed of important personalities from the world of business and science. The winners will be announced on Saturday, 15 March 2014 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, as part of a festive gala event. The prestigious awards are organized by the F.A.Z. Institute and are under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs. This year marks the 33rd time these awards have been granted.

For more information on the German Innovation Awards visit: www.innovationspreis.com

For more information on StreamDiver visit:
http://voith.com/en/products-services/hydropower/streamdiver-55362.html

The Importance of Hydropower
Hydropower is the largest, oldest and also most reliable form of renewable energy generation. Worldwide it makes an indispensable contribution to stable power supplies and hence to economic and social development – both in industrial countries and in emerging markets. At the same time, hydropower significantly contributes to climate-protecting energy genera-tion. Voith has been a leading supplier of this technology since the early beginning, and continuously develops it further.

About the Company
Voith sets standards in the markets energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transportation & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 43,000 people, generates € 5.7 billion in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is today one of the biggest family-owned companies in Europe.