It's once again time to start the search for the winners of the 2016 "Intralogistics Oscars". The entrant portal for the leading intralogistics award opened its doors today, and manufacturers of MHE vehicles as well as providers of intralogistics solutions in all fields can now register.

"This year's vote will be more exciting than ever before. The entrants who will be nominated in one of the categories in a CeMAT year really are leaders in innovation", says Anita Würmser, Executive Jury Chairperson of the IFOY organisation.

The chances of a nomination are good this year, because the international jury has included new product segments and increased the number of categories from five to eight. The new categories have been selected to reflect the high number of innovations in widely varying fields. 

Invitation for the IFOY Award in eight categories

The two traditional forklift categories "Counter Balanced Trucks up to 3.5 tons" and "over 3.5 tons" have now been joined by the "Special Vehicle" category for special-purpose vehicles, container stackers, transportable forklifts or heavy-load forklifts with capacities of over eight tons.
The "Warehouse Truck" category has been divided into "Warehouse Truck highlifters" and "Warehouse Truck lowlifters" for trucks with a lifting height up to the 1st shelving level and from the 2nd shelving level. In addition, shuttle vehicles are now admitted to the category "Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)".
The category "Intralogistics Solutions" does not focus on the vehicles but on planning and implementation expertise. The competition is open to a successfully implemented integrated warehouse concept or intralogistics systems or software solutions, such as warehouse management systems, logistics software, forklift guidance, driver assistant or fleet management systems, always within the context of a specific application.
Another new feature is the category "Special of the Year" with the emphasis on outstanding technical details or components that significantly improve cost efficiency, sustainability or the physical or psychological conditions for the user. Examples include ergonomic innovations like driver cabins or control elements, safety assistant solutions, automation components or new drive technologies.
Intralogistics providers can register for the competition at www.ifoy.org with immediate effect. Newly developed trucks, trucks that represent further developments or special models with significant technical improvements that came onto the European market after December 1, 2014 (AGVs, Special of the Year, Solution: since August 1, 2014) are eligible for the award.
The decision of the jury will be announced during the CeMAT opening ceremony in Hannover on May 31, 2016.

Leading international CeMAT fair stages the IFOY Test Week in Hannover

The decision on which trucks and integrated logistics solutions have the right to call themselves "Best of the Year" in May 2016 is made in a multi-phase selection process. In the first phase, the jury nominates the most promising candidates from among all the entries. These vehicles then have to undergo a neutral test and the scientific IFOY Innovation Check on the trade fair grounds in Hannover. The two test series compare the finalists with their respective rival trucks and provide the jury with important information on which to base their decision. The IFOY Test is conducted by Dutch trade journalist Theo Egberts, while the Innovation Check is performed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics in Dortmund as well as the Chair of Machine Elements and Technical Logistics at the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg.

The IFOY Jury continues to grow: Australia, Brazil, Switzerland
The newly elected members on the body are Allan Leibowitz, Editor-in-Chief of "forkliftaction.com" (Australia), Klaus Koch, Editor-in-Chief of the leading Swiss logistics magazine "Logistik&Fördertechnik" and Valeria Lima de Azevedo Nammur, Publisher of "LOGWEB Magazine" (Brazil). The jury now comprises 25 members from 17 countries worldwide.

Since 2013, the IFOY Award has become established as a benchmark for cost efficiency and innovation; due to the expertise it represents, it is seen as the authoritative innovation award in the logistics field. The sponsor of the IFOY Award, which enjoys the patronage of the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is the VDMA Materials Handling and Logistics Systems Sector Association. The IFOY presentation partner is the leading international CeMAT fair for intralogistics, and the IFOY partner is battery charging specialist Fronius based in the Austrian town of Wels.

IFOY categories 2016 at a glance

• Counter Balanced Truck up to 3.5 tons
• Counter Balanced Truck from 3.51 tons
• Special Vehicle: forklifts and vehicles for special tasks: container stackers, transportable forklifts, heavy-load forklift from 8.1 tons, special vehicle manufacturing etc.
• Warehouse Truck "highlifters": materials handling equipment from the 2nd shelving level like high-bay trucks, VNA trucks or reach trucks, pedestrian-controlled highlift trucks, order-picking trucks etc.
• Warehouse Truck "lowlifters": materials handling equipment up to 1st shelving level like pedestrian-controlled lowlift trucks, lift trucks, tow tractors, tugger trains, order-picking trucks etc.
• Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) and Shuttles: shuttle systems, driverless transport systems, automated/partially automated materials handling equipment in the context of the application options
• Intralogistics Solution: a warehouse concept that has been successfully realised at the customer's location. An intralogistics system or software solution in the context of the application options like warehouse management systems, logistics software, truck guidance systems, advanced driver assistance systems, fleet management systems etc.
• Special of the Year: the award goes to a component/technical detail that significantly improves economics or environment, the physical or psychological conditions for the user, like ergonomic innovations, safety assistant solutions, automation solutions, drive technology etc.