Thermo Trolley receives BIG BANG INNOVATION Award 2026
A joint development project by va-Q-tec and Wanzl has won over the judges: The Thermo Trolley was awarded the Editors’ Choice Prize in the “Product Innovation” category at the BIG BANG INNOVATION Award 2026. This innovative concept demonstrates how passive temperature control can be integrated even more flexibly into logistics processes in the future.
The Thermo Trolley is among the outstanding product innovations recognized at the 2026 BIG BANG INNOVATION Award. The editorial team at DUP UNTERNEHMER honored the concept – developed jointly by va-Q-tec and Wanzl – with the Editorial Award in the “Product Innovation” category.
The BIG BANG INNOVATION Award is presented jointly by the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ) and DUP UNTERNEHMER magazine. The award was established in 2025 to highlight innovative projects from the German business community. In 2026, a total of 53 projects were honored across 22 categories. Of these, 18 awards went to the Jury Prize and 35 to the Editorial Prize, which was presented for the first time.
New Perspectives on Passive Temperature Control
With the Thermo Trolley, va-Q-tec and Wanzl are pursuing an approach that combines established logistics processes with highly efficient thermal insulation. The concept is designed to keep temperature-sensitive goods within a defined temperature range for several hours—without active cooling and without dry ice.
A key technological foundation for this is provided by va-Q-tec’s vacuum insulation panels and Wanzl’s expertise in logistics and structural engineering. The high insulation performance opens up new possibilities for applications where space, energy efficiency, and reliable temperature control are critical.
The Thermo Trolley demonstrates how the two companies’ areas of expertise can complement each other: logistics and trolley know-how on the one hand, and many years of expertise in vacuum insulation and thermal efficiency on the other. This combination results in a solution tailored to the requirements of future temperature-controlled logistics processes.
From a technological concept to practical application
The award recognizes not only a technical solution but also the development approach behind it. The focus is on how passive temperature control can be integrated more easily and efficiently into existing processes in the future.
Passive systems offer particularly interesting possibilities in logistics processes where temperature-sensitive goods are moved, temporarily stored, or transported over short distances. By eliminating the need for continuous active cooling and dry ice, technical complexity and energy consumption can be reduced.
The Thermo Trolley is customized for each customer to combine technology, application, and practical requirements. Winning the BIG BANG INNOVATION Award underscores the potential of this approach even at an early stage.
Award Based on Level of Innovation and Future Potential
For the Editorial Award, market research experts from DISQ analyzed approximately 100 innovation projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, digitalization, and transformation. Their analysis was based, among other things, on studies, media reports, and publicly available corporate information.
The DUP editorial team then evaluated and ranked the projects. Factors taken into account included the degree of innovation, customer benefits, and future potential. A total of 35 projects were awarded the editorial prize.
The Thermo Trolley is one of the award-winning projects in the “Product Innovation” category.
Collaborative Innovation as the Foundation for New Solutions
For va-Q-tec and Wanzl, the award also serves as confirmation of their approach to combining technological expertise with specific real-world requirements at an early stage.
Quality is the foundation of our development work. va-Q-tec’s many years of experience with highly efficient vacuum insulation are combined with Wanzl’s industry-specific logistics expertise and new application ideas. This results in solutions designed for high thermal performance, reliability, and efficient use of resources.
The collaboration on the Thermo Trolley demonstrates how diverse areas of expertise can give rise to new perspectives for temperature-controlled logistics and how innovative ideas are gradually developed into practical solutions.
Photos: Thomas Ecke / DISQ / DUP
BIG BANG INNOVATION Award 2026
The awards ceremony took place on September 16, 2026, as part of the BIG BANG AI Festival at STATION Berlin. The award recognizes projects that respond to technological, economic, and social changes with innovative approaches.