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Innovative ideas in Ilmenau: Thuringian Innovation Prize 2024 awarded!
Former TU Ilmenau student Mageeban Kuperan wins the Thuringian Innovation Prize 2024 for his DiametriX® system.
Innovative ideas in Ilmenau: Thuringian Innovation Prize 2024 awarded!
On October 1, 2025, a significant milestone for Thuringia's innovation landscape will become visible. Mageeban Kuperan, a former student at Ilmenau University of Technology, will receive the award in 2024 Thuringian Innovation Prize. Kuperan is the founder of the company KupTec and developed the DiametriX® system. This innovative system enables safe and precise measurement of sewer shafts without the need for people to descend into the shafts, which not only reduces risk for employees but also increases efficiency. The development of DiametriX® was accompanied by the patent and technology transfer center PATON.
As part of the award ceremony and the associated developments, the exhibition “130 years of PATENTE ideas in Ilmenau” will be presented. This shows the history of inventions in the region and runs until November 13, 2025 in the foyer of the Ilmenau University Library. Admission to this exhibition is free and it addresses the connection between patents, brands and economic strength, which is crucial for the culture of innovation in Thuringia.
Award and prize winners
The Thuringian Innovation Prize, which has been awarded since 1994, is awarded in four main categories and includes prize money totaling 100,000 euros. The winners of the prize include the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society as well as the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT) and TÜV Thuringia. In 2024, the awards were presented in Weimar at the beginning of December, with Kuperan's company KupTec being honored in the “Digital & Media” category.
| category | Prize winner | innovation |
|---|---|---|
| Tradition & future | Fliegl Fahrzeugbau GmbH | F-CON quick coupling system |
| Industry & Materials | Schulz & Berger Air and Process Engineering GmbH | Coanda sifter |
| Digital & Media | KupTec GmbH | DiametriX system |
| Light & Life | Synantik GmbH and EICMED GmbH | Microwave TT3000 |
In addition to the main categories, a special prize for young companies and the Ernst Abbe Prize for innovative entrepreneurship will be awarded. In 2024, this prize will go to Viktoria Schütz from DEGUMA-SCHÜTZ GmbH for sustainable and innovative business models. A public prize will also be awarded, which goes to REHA aktiv 2000 GmbH for their individually adapted cervical orthosis for ALS patients.
The role of PATON and the future of innovations
Dr. Christoph Hoock, Director of PATON, expressed the importance of intellectual property rights and the innovative strength of the region during the opening of the exhibition. He emphasized how important it is to continue Ilmenau's innovative history. An outstanding example of a successful Ilmenau spin-off is the company fayteq, which was taken over by Facebook (now Meta) in 2017 and developed the patented Diminished Reality technology. This technology allows objects to be removed from live videos in real time.
The combination of award-winning inventions and support from institutions such as TÜV Thüringen shows how Thuringia continues to play a central role in Germany's innovation landscape. The commitment of science and industry will continue to make a significant contribution to strengthening the economy in the coming years.