IFOY AWARD 2025
The winners are ...

The winners of the IFOY AWARD 2025 have been decided.The international jury of the intralogistics competition nominated a total of 21 products and solutions from 15 companies in eight categories this year. Following a rigorous three-stage audit, the jury cast their votes and selected the victors. EP Equipment, Exotec, Geekplus, Interroll, Jungheinrich, PLANCISE, and STILL crossed the finish line as winners. The IFOY Start-up of the Year Award went to Filics.

In a highly competitive field, a powerful yet simple electric pallet truck rose to the top – impressing with its ease of use and high performance in automated operation.

Warehouse Truck of the Year is the X Mover EXP15 from EP Equipment. The jury considers the EXP15 a prime example of successful simplification in the automation of in-house transport processes. This pallet truck, which can be used both manually and autonomously, stands out with its rugged design, intuitive handling, and its “Record and Run” function, which allows travel paths to be taught in without any programming skills or training. Combined with an outstanding price-performance ratio, the device from the Chinese manufacturer significantly lowers the entry barriers to partial automation – making it an attractive option for both new and replacement investments as well as for first steps into automated transport applications.

In the Robot Warehouse System category, the IFOY AWARD 2025 goes to Exotec for its Next Generation Skypod System. This innovative robotics solution from France impressed with its slimmer design, increased dynamics, and extremely high storage density. The robot is the only system component to integrate all key functions into a compact all-in-one unit – without the need for complex subsystems such as conveyors or sorters. Particularly noteworthy is its ability to flexibly sequence items during transport and to utilize space even beneath the racks. The modular architecture, intelligent routing, and closed-loop processes combine cutting-edge technology with practical benefits. According to the jury, the easily scalable system is a future-ready solution for a wide range of industries – offering high adaptability and significantly reduced investment risk in uncertain times.

In the flagship category Integrated Customer Solution, Geekplus from China secured the win in an extremely close race with the automation of the new Dr. Max warehouse in Telgate near Bergamo, Italy. What convinced the jury was the overall package of customer benefit, system availability, and scalability – combined with minimal personnel requirements. In phase one, Geekplus Europe implemented a solution for 11,000 products in the e-commerce and pharmacy business on just 1,300 square meters. The setup includes 22 RoboShuttles for double-deep storage – up to five times more space-efficient – and 50 P40 robots for fast tote transport. Pick-to-light workstations enable ergonomic and error-free picking of more than 200 totes per hour and per station. The jury was particularly impressed by a cleverly positioned conveyor belt above the driving area – a space-saving solution that doubled productivity. A textbook example of future-proof warehouse automation in the pharmaceutical sector, according to the jury’s verdict.

After a tight race in the Special of the Year category, Interroll from Switzerland wins with MCP PLAY (Modular Conveyor Platform). The control solution for its modular conveyor platform for totes and cartons  enables the simple and fast implementation of systems for handling items up to 50 kilograms and achieves up to 30 percent energy savings. E-commerce retailers and 3PL service providers in particular benefit from throughput increases of up to 100 percent. The jury speaks of a paradigm shift in conveyor technology. MCP PLAY allows for precise item localization, freely scalable zone sizes, and seamless merging of multiple lines. Innovative features include “Adjust to Gap” for reduced spacing between items and “Flowing Merge” for continuous merging without stops. Thanks to the open interface, the system operates without a PLC and significantly reduces IT complexity.

Counter Balanced Truck of the Year is the EFG 425 from Jungheinrich. The powerful 3.5-ton electric forklift from the Hamburg-based manufacturer, designed for heavy-duty indoor and outdoor use, impressed in the IFOY test with its strong dual-motor drive, high throughput of up to 389 pallets per shift, and exceptional all-around visibility thanks to a glass roof and slim mast design. The jury especially praised the combination of robust construction, improved temperature stability during attachment operation, and the ergonomic driver’s cabin. With its impressive travel and lifting speeds, the EFG 425 is a powerful answer to the growing demand for emission-free forklifts with combustion-engine performance, according to the jury. It sets new standards in performance, safety, and driving comfort.

Intralogistics Software of the Year is Workforce Management for Logistics from PLANCISE, Austria. This SaaS tool, specifically developed for larger logistics centers with more than one hundred employees, digitizes the previously mostly manual workforce planning and adapts it to fluctuating volumes and seasonal demands – a key competence in times of skilled labor shortages.

Through dynamic capacity and daily planning in real time, the cloud software detects understaffing or overstaffing and proposes targeted personnel shifts based on throughput forecasts, qualifications, and current workload. The jury particularly recognizes the innovative implementation, which not only unlocks efficiency potential but also closes a previously neglected gap in intralogistics.

The FM-X iGo from STILL has been honored with the IFOY AWARD 2025 in the Mobile Robot of the Year category. The first series-produced automated Li-Ion reach truck from the Hamburg-based manufacturer is a door opener for integrating autonomous technology into existing warehouse environments. The jury was particularly impressed by the integrated safety technology according to ISO 3691-4, its narrow aisle width, the digital service concept based on a digital twin for each vehicle, and the intuitive commissioning via the iGo easy software. In a market increasingly challenged by skilled labor shortages and high efficiency demands, the FM-X iGo hits the nerve of the times, the jury states. It explicitly addresses small and medium-sized enterprises that have so far been deterred by the challenges of complex automation projects.

Four young companies with disruptive potential competed for the IFOY Start-up of the Year Award. The winner is the Munich-based start-up Filics with their Filics Unit – a globally unique, CE-certified dual-ski system consisting of two autonomous robots that can synchronously enter and pass under Euro pallets or Euro mesh boxes. The skis offer a payload capacity of up to one ton and enable the automation of manual pallet truck processes that were previously economically unviable in block and line warehouses or confined production and logistics environments. The jury particularly praised the high-quality in-house developments of the lifting and driving modules, the system’s flexible applicability in brownfield environments, and its potential for automated truck loading and unloading. The space savings of up to 66 percent also made a strong impression.