Our Story, Our Mission

How it all began: Stories from the history of the IFOY AWARD.

The IFOY AWARD was launched in 2011. Today, it is regarded worldwide as the benchmark for top performance and innovation in intralogistics – and provides new impetus for the industry every year. How it all began.

The birth of the IFOY

It wasn’t the glamor of the stage or the flash of lightning that marked the beginning.
But a quiet doubt. The industry was strong, the technology impressive – and yet something was missing. Not the innovation itself, but a stage that measures and evaluates it. An award that does not applaud marketing, but the technology itself.

The idea was born at a conference table at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, where leading manufacturers, engineers and industry experts came together at Daimler ‘s invitation.

“An award doesn’t have to please. It has to exist.”

That was the moment when the IFOY began. Not as a show, not as an event, but as an aspiration: to test, measure and make visible innovation and excellence.

The event was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the VDMA Intralogistics and Materials Handling Association was the conceptual sponsor. VDMA Robotics + Automation has also been the sponsor of the “Mobile Robot” category since 2021.

The first steps

The first steps were ambitious: developing statutes, developing test procedures, setting up a jury of leading international logistics editors-in-chief.

The positive tension at the first TEST DAYS was almost palpable. The jury came together for the first time and the products had to prove themselves in tests that are otherwise only known from research laboratories. Every test stand, every hour, every test was a test of reality. No marketing, no fancy presentations – just facts, figures and performance.

And it quickly became clear: whoever makes it to the final has earned it. Not a sure-fire success, not a favor.

Since those early days, the IFOY has pursued a clear course: independence, technological excellence and respect for the performance of the finalists.

Special moments

In 2015, the IFOY AWARD faces a logistical challenge: the test hall at the Deutsche Messe exhibition center is not available. Hellmann Worldwide Logistics responds and spontaneously makes the historic hall at its headquarters in Osnabrück available as a test area. The hall will be equipped with WLAN, and the first floor of Speicher 3 will be converted into the IFOY Test office.

The jury arrived on February 25 and 26: 22 judges test a dozen appliances. Among them: Klaus Hellmann, who will not miss the opportunity to test the appliances himself.

Those who experienced TEST DAYS 2015 still talk about it today.

Sustainability? Not talk. Do it.

It’s never been talked about much, but innovation rather than decoration has been an IFOY principle since day one. It runs through everything that happens. The test sets are functional, the materials reusable: Alu-Truss stand construction, rental furniture, eco-carpets, centralized catering, short distances, green electricity (…) saves water, waste, time and money.

IFOY rumors and legends

There are many legends surrounding the IFOY AWARD. One persistent rumor claims that the award was originally only intended for forklift trucks. The truth: from the very beginning, the IFOY was conceived as an award for intralogistics as a whole – the forklift truck manufacturers were just the fastest to apply.

Another myth is that you can “buy” the award with nomination fees. In fact, the IFOY is subject to a fee, but a clear principle applies here: quality and independence have a price. Only those who meet the strict criteria and impress in the competition are nominated. Guaranteed victories? There are none. Companies that only want to compete if they are certain of success have been excluded from the outset.

IFOY and Corona

In mid-January 2020, the first inquiries due to the coronavirus pandemic create uncertainty: will IFOY TEST DAYS take place? At the beginning of March, guests from 20 countries arrive and only a little later, on March 22, the first lockdown in Germany leads to the closure of Messe Hannover.

The award ceremony takes place digitally. More than 1,000 viewers are present via Zoom and cheering is still going on.

March 2021: Lockdown #2. All events are canceled, postponed, digital. The Hanover trade fair closes and IFOY moves to Dortmund. The IFOY TEST DAYS and the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS take place in presence with 650 participants. The motto: Testing makes the difference. Dress code for award ceremony at the German Football Museum: Black Tie with mask.
March 2022: Incidences rise to record levels. All events are canceled, postponed, digital. The IFOY TEST DAYS and the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS take place with a total of 950 participants and 51 innovations.
No corona infections have been reported.

How the IFOY Test became an IFOY Audit

Since 2013, all finalists have had to take the IFOY Test. It measures the hard facts: Load capacities, consumption, speeds for forklifts and warehouse technology.

In order to be able to assess the innovation value, it is necessary to compare the technology with market standards. This is the task of the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, which premiered in 2014. Using visual and functional tests, the degree of innovation, customer benefit, market relevance and quality are tracked and verified in the test hall. A certificate attests to the result.

And finally, the judges test the products in person on site.

IFOY Test, Innovation Check and jury test make up the IFOY Audit. The “Best in Intralogistics Certificate” will be introduced in 2018 and the “Innovation Check Certificate” in 2025 to document even more clearly the high degree of innovation and technical quality of the finalists who have successfully completed the test series. Anyone bearing this seal has successfully passed the IFOY Audit. It is the visible seal of innovation.

The TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS is born – don't call it a trade fair

For a long time, IFOY TEST DAYS has been an exclusive event with a maximum of 150 participants – finalists, jurors, testers and partners. This is changing in 2018: More and more decision-makers interested in innovation from different industries want to be there and test things for themselves.
From 2020, the IFOY organization will officially open the last two test days for 50 invited guests to experience the intensive hands-on testing. Safety restrictions initially only allowed a limited number of participants, but the new event format quickly gained acceptance.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, interest is growing in leaps and bounds. From 2021, the IFOY TEST DAYS will evolve into a new event: the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS. A hands-on testing event with a congress for innovations. The target groups are B2B visitors interested in innovation and investment. In the following years, the TEST CAMP establishes itself as an independent event in Dortmund and becomes the platform for the IFOY Audit.

In 2025, TEST CAMP will integrate the German Material Flow Congress, thus setting the next milestone.

Today: The moment everyone is waiting for

Year after year, the IFOY AWARD attracts the brightest minds, the most exciting machines and the boldest ideas. Excitement, emotion and technical know-how merge into an event that electrifies the industry. Anyone who attends immediately senses that this is more than just an awards ceremony. It’s a stage, an experience, a moment that stays with you.

Looking ahead: Innovation as an invitation
The IFOY remains dynamic, visionary and pioneering. New technologies, new categories, new possibilities – always with the aim of celebrating the best. For anyone who wants to help shape the future of intralogistics, IFOY is the place to be seen – and where the industry pauses to celebrate excellence.

To be continued…

Questions about the IFOY AWARD

Please contact us.

IFOY AWARD
T +49 89 215384611
E-mail: anita.wuermser@ifoy.org