Andreas Kraler is prize winner in "Innovation" category at EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Awards

On October 13, EY Austria presented the renowned Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards at a festive gala in the Vienna Hofburg. Andreas Kraler, Managing Partner of HELLA, Austria's market leader for sun, light and weather protection systems, was delighted to receive an award in the category "Innovation". With this award, EY recognises the top Austrian entrepreneurs of the year.

Passion for innovation and awareness of tradition as success factors

For Kraler, who is successfully managing the East Tyrolean family business in the third generation, the award is a confirmation of the company's strategy for success: "At HELLA, we prove anew every day that tradition and innovation are not contradictory. On the contrary: with numerous new developments and patents, we continuously realise our passion for technical innovations, supported by our experience from almost 65 years of company history." In order to further expand its position as an innovation driver, Kraler founded, among other things, a state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, which is dedicated to trend research and leads HELLA unerringly into the future with pioneering technologies. Furthermore, since the company was founded in 1959, 100 percent of its profits have remained within the company and are fully reinvested in order to maintain and continuously increase its innovative and investment power.  

This innovative strength, which is deeply rooted in the company's DNA, was ultimately able to convince the jury. "Innovation has always been an essential driver of growth and competitiveness for companies. Designing creative business models is what makes excellent entrepreneurs today, because it is precisely times like these that call for entrepreneurial excellence. They create veritable masterpieces of corporate art," explains Erich Lehner, Managing Partner Markets at EY Austria., explaining the main idea behind the award. For this reason, the motto of the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 is "The Art of Entrepreneurship" and the award brings outstanding "corporate artists" before the curtain.
"The recognition at the 'Entrepreneur of the Year Awards' in an area that is particularly close to my heart, namely innovation, makes me particularly happy and makes me very proud. I am also proud of the entire HELLA team, which ensures that we continue to develop as a company every day - sustainably, responsibly and innovatively!" continues Andreas Kraler.   

With the kind support of ©HELLA