Hans Beckhoff, founder and Managing Director of Beckhoff Automation, has been awarded the Rudolf Diesel Medal 2025 in the category of Most Successful Innovation Achievement. This prestigious European honor recognizes Beckhoff’s outstanding contributions to automation technology and his entrepreneurial spirit. The award ceremony took place on July 10 at the MAN Museum in Augsburg.
Established in 1953, the Rudolf Diesel Medal is one of Europe’s oldest innovation awards. Presented by the German Institute for Inventions (D.I.E. e.V.), it honors individuals and organizations that have driven significant technological advancements, improved societal wellbeing, and fostered a lasting culture of innovation.
Beckhoff, widely regarded as a visionary in industrial automation, was selected by a board of trustees comprising over 60 leaders from Germany’s mid-sized global market champions. The jury acknowledged not just his technological foresight, but also the broader economic impact of Beckhoff Automation, which has grown into a global technology leader with 5,300 employees across 41 subsidiaries, generating revenues of €1.17 billion in 2024.
Founded in 1980, Beckhoff Automation introduced a paradigm shift in 1986 by launching PC-based control technology, a groundbreaking departure from traditional hardware-centric approaches. This innovation laid the foundation for integrating IT with industrial automation, influencing global standards and shaping the future of smart manufacturing.
Hans Beckhoff has since led the development of key technologies, including the Lightbus (1989), the Bus Terminal (1995), and the real-time EtherCAT communication system (2003), all of which have become industry benchmarks. His latest innovation—the MX-System, a modular, cabinet-free control hardware solution—is already being recognized as a revolution in automation hardware.
Accepting the award, Hans Beckhoff emphasized the collective achievement of his company. “This medal is not for me alone. It represents the passion and dedication of our entire team—over 600 developers and product managers and more than 2,000 customer-facing professionals—who innovate every day and respond to the needs of our users.”
He also delivered an inspiring message to future engineers: “Inventing is fun. The moment when an idea becomes reality is magical. Never give up—that breakthrough is worth all the effort.”
Prof. Dr. Gunther Herr of Steinbeis University Berlin, who delivered the laudation, praised Beckhoff’s commitment to people-centered innovation, his resilience, and his drive to make automation more efficient and sustainable. “Hans Beckhoff has not only pioneered automation technology but redefined how it powers the world—from factories and research labs to entertainment venues and smart buildings.”
As Beckhoff Automation continues to push boundaries with AI-driven control systems like the Automation Brain, Hans Beckhoff remains committed to his founding mission: advancing industrial automation to meet both economic and environmental needs.
The Rudolf Diesel Medal underlines Beckhoff’s enduring legacy—one that combines innovation, integrity, and an unrelenting passion for progress.