Rational wins German Innovation Award 2025

In mid-May, Rational, the world market leader in thermal food preparation, won the German Innovation
Award in the Excellence in Business to Business - Retail & Trade Solutions category for the iHexagon.
The 9-member jury is made up of independent, interdisciplinary experts from industry, science,
institutions and finance who evaluates entries based on the criteria: level of innovation, user benefits
and efficiency. In addition, the innovation strategy considered aspects such as social,
environmental and economic sustainability, as well as the use of energy and resources. Factors such
as location and employment potential, longevity, market maturity, technical quality and function,
materiality and synergy effects also played a role.

The iHexagon impressed the judges because it is the first on the market to intelligently bring hot
air, steam and microwave into the cooking cabinet so that the energy is evenly distributed
throughout the cooking cabinet on all six racks. Together with fresh steam, the two other types of
energy are intelligently matched and regulated to the food being cooked, producing the highest
quality food in the shortest possible time.

The iHexagon is mainly aimed at customers whose business concept is focussed equally on quality
and speed. On the one hand, it is capable of generating substantial quantities, so it can be used, for
example, to prepare meals for the hot counter or to fill buffets. Secondly, thanks to its speed, it is able
to serve fresh food at the counter even during rush hour, or heat up snacks in a matter of seconds,
without compromising on food quality. This translates to an end of queues and a boost in sales instead.

Martin Hermann, Chief Technical Officer at Rational: "We are very proud of this award, which
underlines the innovative power of Rational and the customer benefits of the iHexagon. It is a milestone
in thermal food preparation and offers our customers a unique combination of productivity and quality."