Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition is TOP Innovator 2023

Family business receives prestigious Mittelstand award for success in innovation

Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition is one of the most innovative Mittelstand companies in Germany, as the TOP 100 seal of approval the company has now been awarded attests. The TOP 100 Innovator award is based on a scientific selection process and only awarded to particularly innovative SMEs.

In the course of the assessment by innovation researcher Prof. Nikolaus Franke (Vienna University of Economics and Business) and his team, Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition demonstrated its innovative capabilities based on more than 100 criteria in five categories: top management that promotes innovation, innovation climate, innovative processes and organisation, an outward-looking approach and open innovation, and success in innovation. The central question is: Are a company’s innovations just a product of chance or are they systematically planned and consequently replicable in the future?

At Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition, innovation has been one of the company’s guiding principles from the outset. The hidden champion from northern Rhineland‑Palatinate, which was established by Dr Antje Eckel in 1994, has earned a worldwide reputation in its sector for its innovative feed additives for livestock and aquaculture. This while always remaining true to its founding values of innovation, excellence and responsibility towards people, animals and the environment. The interdisciplinary team comprises people from the most diverse industrial sectors and countries. High professionals from Asia to South America contribute significantly to the energy and innovative capabilities that go into creating innovative products and sustainable success for the company’s international customers.

Dr. Eckel has already received many awards for its activities, including the Stifterverband’s ‘Innovative through Research’ seal of approval. For CEO Antje Eckel, the fact that Dr. Eckel has now been named a TOP Innovator is an especially welcome tribute to the work of her entire team. “Our dynamism and bold ideas give us the all-important innovative edge to hold our own in a global market. This can only be done with a team that is flexible and agile, and embraces change. I am extremely pleased about this great award for all of us.”

The TOP 100 seal of approval is awarded to companies in three categories: up to 50 employees, 51 to 200 employees and over 200 employees. Awards are distributed to a maximum of 100 companies per category.

“TOP 100 is all about how important innovation is within the company,” says Prof. Nikolaus Franke, science curator of the competition. “Is it all a matter of routine and habit or is the company capable of questioning the current situation, creative thinking and rethinking, and successfully asserting itself on the market?” he adds. On 23 June, all the 2023 top innovators will meet for the award ceremony at the German Mittelstand Summit in Augsburg, where Ranga Yogeshwar will personally congratulate them on their success in the TOP 100 competition.

 

About Dr. Eckel

Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition: quality, modern animal nutrition made in Germany. The company was set up in 1994 by Dr agr. Antje Eckel. The start-up has developed into an international hidden champion in the field of innovative feed additives for livestock and aquaculture.

The industry pioneer’s products, which are sold worldwide, combine commercially successful animal nutrition with animal welfare. They make an important contribution to sustainable food production and have received multiple research and industry awards.

Employees from 20 countries—highly qualified experts in agricultural science, veterinary medicine, microbiology, chemistry and pharmacy—conduct research and work towards making animal nutrition healthier, more successful and more sustainable. More than 10 per cent of our revenue is invested in innovation every year. Numerous prizes for innovation, national and European project funding, and lively dialogue with international research institutes are ample testimony to the reputation that Dr. Eckel has earned through its constant leadership position. Antje Eckel herself has been commended for her entrepreneurial work several times. She was appointed to the SME Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in 2018.

 

About the TOP 100 competition

compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal of approval to Mittelstand companies for their outstanding innovative capabilities and exceptional success in innovation since 1993. Prof. Nikolaus Franke has curated the science segment since 2002. He is the founder and director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and one of the leading innovation researchers internationally, with 26 research awards and more than 200 publications to his name. Science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar is the mentor of TOP 100, while the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (a society for the advancement of applied research) and the BVMW (an association for Mittelstand companies) are project partners. Journals ‘manager magazin’ and ‘impulse’ are media partners and ‘ZEIT für Unternehmer’ is a cooperation partner. Visit www.top100.de to read more about it and register.

More information and photographic material on the TOP 100 can be obtained online on www.top100.de/presse or by sending an email to presse@compamedia.de.

 

Projections

This press release may include projections based on current assumptions and forecasts made by the management of Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG. Various risks—both known and unknown—uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG to vary significantly from the estimates provided here. Such factors include those described by Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG in published reports. Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG shall accept no liability whatsoever for updating such projections and adjusting them to future events or developments.