IFOY AWARD 2025: Eight Companies Honored for Innovations

• EP Equipment, Exotec, Geekplus, Interroll, Jungheinrich, PLANCISE, and STILL celebrate receiving one of the prestigious intralogistics awards.
• Filics wins the IFOY Start-up of the Year Award.
• Glamorous award ceremony with 200 guests from business, science, politics, and media at Dortmund’s Phoenix des Lumières

Ismaning near Munich / Dortmund, July 3, 2025. The winners of the IFOY AWARD 2025 have been announced. During the award night at Phoenix des Lumières in Dortmund, representatives from EP Equipment, Exotec, Geekplus, Interroll, Jungheinrich, PLANCISE, and STILL received the international intralogistics award from the laudatory speakers. The IFOY Start-up of the Year Award went to Filics.

The laudatory speeches were delivered by Nils Bücker (Managing Director, Rabe Fashion Group), Jan Drömer (Chairman of the Board, VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association), Dr. Heike van Hoorn (Managing Director, German Transport Forum), Sabine Loos (CEO, Westfalenhallen Group), Prof. Dr. Markus Mau (President, European Logistics Association), Ronny Sassen (CEO Rhenus Contract Logistics, Rhenus Logistics), Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schmidt (Professor of Logistics Engineering, TU Dresden) and Udo Schmidt (Vice President, Cascade Europe). 

The International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) AWARD is one of the largest technology competitions in intralogistics worldwide. A total of 49 products were on the application list, and 15 companies with 21 products and solutions made it to the finals – just shy of the all-time high reached in 2023.
“The lineup of finalists alone demonstrates the tremendous innovative strength within intralogistics. The jury's decisions reflect more than ever that volatile markets, rising cost pressure, and the ongoing labor shortage call less for incremental improvements and more for practical, economically viable solutions. Autonomization is a clear trend, but it's simplified thinking that drives real innovation,” said Anita Würmser, Executive Chair of the IFOY jury in Dortmund.

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.

The IFOY AWARD
The IFOY AWARD honors the most innovative intralogistics products and solutions of the year. It has established itself as a benchmark for economic efficiency and innovation and is regarded as one of the most prestigious international innovation awards in intralogistics due to its expert evaluation. The decision is based on a three-stage audit process – consisting of the comprehensive IFOY test protocol with around 80 criteria, the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, and the jury test. Crucially, the nominees are not compared against each other, but rather against their competitive market devices.

The winners of the IFOY AWARD are selected annually by an international jury of expert trade journalists. The IFOY AWARD is sponsored by the German Material Handling and Intralogistics Association (Fachverband Fördertechnik und Intralogistik) and the Robotics + Automation Association within VDMA. IFOY partners include Messe Dortmund and the world-leading forklift attachment manufacturer Cascade. The logistics partner is LTG, and the event partner is Phoenix des Lumières. The IFOY organization is headquartered in Ismaning near Munich. The IFOY AWARD is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

The application phase for the IFOY AWARD 2026 opens on August 1, 2025.

IFOY AWARD: All 2025 winners at a glance 
•    EP Equipment: X MOVER EXP15
•    Exotec: Skypod System
•    Geekplus: RoboShuttle + P40 Tote-to-Person Solution with Dr. Max Italy
•    Interroll: MCP PLAY
•    Jungheinrich: EFG 425
•    PLANCISE: Workforce Management for Logistics
•    STILL: FM-X iGo

IFOY Start-up of the Year 2025: Filics: Filics Unit

Download print-quality images

The IFOY test reports and IFOY innovation checks for all 2025 nominees are available for unrestricted use at:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/1mni8bn9rpemn20x8oggt/AEndErewcwPcz22BadEF0l4?rlkey=g98frcc9z40zbikkpdec824jp&dl=0

Video material of all 2025 nominees:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/nt6l0k6s3vjla3xvjlxzi/AF0_csprbjX3oarUDD8Xxx0?rlkey=0ba2bbwiynop9lx0zdwpduwy8&dl=0


IFOY AWARD WWW.IFOY.ORG
Der International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) AWARD zeichnet die besten Intralogistikprodukte und Systemlösungen des Jahres aus. Ziel ist es, die Leistungsfähigkeit und Innovationskraft der Intralogistik zu dokumentieren sowie zur Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und zur Imageverbesserung der gesamten Branche in der Öffentlichkeit beizutragen. Gewählt wird der IFOY AWARD jährlich von einer unabhängigen Jury internationaler Fachjournalisten. Träger des IFOY AWARD sind der Fachverband Fördertechnik und Intralogistik sowie der Fachverband Robotik + Automation im VDMA. IFOY Partner sind die Messe Dortmund und der weltweit führende Stapleranbaugerätehersteller Cascade. Logistikpartner ist LTG. IFOY Eventpartner ist Phoenix des Lumières. Sitz der IFOY Organisation ist Ismaning bei München. Der IFOY AWARD steht unter der Schirmherrschaft des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Energie.
Im Jahr 2024 erreichte die Berichterstattung über den IFOY AWARD 2599 Artikel in 738 Medien aus 45 Ländern. Die organische Online-Medienreichweite (brutto) lag bei 886,6 Millionen Lesern.

Mitglieder der Jury: Snejina Badjeva, Chefredakteurin Logistika magazine (Bulgarien), Winfried Bauer, Chefredakteur f+h Fördertechnik, Materialfluss, Logistik 4.0 (Deutschland), Cecilia Biondi, Chefredakteurin Logistica Management (Italien), Alejandra Cabornero, Chefredakteurin Logística Profesional (Spanien), Rosa Maria Cherubini, Redakteurin Il Giornale della Logistica (Italien), Charleen Clarke, Chefredakteurin Focus on Transport and Logistics (Südafrika), Theo Egberts, IFOY Tester und Inhaber Buro Andersom/Andersom Testing (Niederlande, ohne Stimmrecht), Hilda Hultén, Redakteurin und Herausgeberin Dagens Logistik (Schweden), Klaus Koch, Chefredakteur LogisticsInnovation.org (Schweiz), Véronique Le Voas Barat, Herausgeberin und Redakteurin Solutions Manutention (Frankreich), Valeria Lima de Azevedo Nammur, Herausgeberin Logweb Magazin (Brasilien), Øyvind Ludt, Chefredakteur Moderne Transport (Norwegen), Peter MacLeod, Redakteur Logistics Business (Großbritannien), Bernd Maienschein, Fachredakteur MM Logistik (Deutschland), David Maloney, Redaktionsleiter DC Velocity und CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly (USA), Marilena Matei, Redaktionsleiterin Tranzit / Tranzit Logistica (Rumänien), Matthias Pieringer, Chefredakteur Logistik Heute (Deutschland), Szilvia Rapi-Jaubert, Herausgeberin und Chefredakteurin Supply Chain Monitor (Ungarn), Sascha Schmel, Geschäftsführer des Fachverband Fördertechnik und Intralogistik im VDMA (Deutschland, ohne Stimmrecht), Christoph Scholze, Chefredakteur dhf Intralogistik (Deutschland), Sebastian Śliwieński, Chefredakteur Warehouse Monitor (Polen), Michal Štengl, Chefredakteur Transport a Logistika (Tschechien), Jarlath Sweeney, Chefredakteur Fleet Transport (Irland), Ying (Crystal) Xu, stv. Chefredakteurin, China Industrial News Network (China). Geschäftsführende Jury-Vorsitzende ist Anita Würmser, Logistikjournalistin und Geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin von impact media projects.

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