Application for Robotics Application of the Year Award (RAYA)
ISPE D/A/CH Robotics Application of the Year Award
Applications
How to apply?
In line with the industry´s leading brands
Take the stage in just two steps
with the most innovative robotics solutions in the pharmaceutical world! Applicants
will have the opportunity to pitch their application to the
pharmaceutical world live at the event!
Submission form:
All required entry forms are to be downloaded, completed, and emailed to ISPE. The full submission should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines provided in these instructions and submitted electronically by e-mail to robotics-award@ispe-dach.org . Submissions must be received by the stated deadline and each submission must include all required information and signatures in order to be complete.
Final submissions are du no later than July 11, 2025 23:59 UTC-5.
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Best Practice Advisor for creating your application
We would like to support you in writing your application in the best way to convince the jury and fill out the template efficiently.
Describe the the advantage of your application in a touchable, crisp and clear way. Why does the world look different after the development of your solution?
Be brave in stating the unique selling points you believe in! But make sure to explain them in a few sentences to help the jury to understand them as well
CATEGORIES: Selecting a category helps the jury to identify comparable applications. Anyhow the jury is allowed to nominate you for an award even in a category which was not collected by yourself.
PROCESS: In order to understand the automated physical process best it helps most to get a concrete understanding of input, output and the challenge of the solution, for which you want to get the award. Picture of representative objects transporting the challenge of the task are always a good way to make it touchable!
ATTRACTIVENESS: As we are looking for most attractive robotics solutions, your main message should include exactly this: Why is the solution so attractive for the applying industry and why is the benefit of solving the task with a robot (6-13 axis robot or mobile robot) instead of classical automation.
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL: This might be hard for you to describe – best would be to ask the salesperson of the supplier or the one of the applying industry, who signed the budget approval. The jury wants to see your clear opinion about the ROI with an understandable argumentation of the “why?”
CROSS PHARMA APPLICABILITY: In order to convince the jury, you have to provide an overview about the area within pharmaceutical industry where your application can be used in production plants and laboratories.
FLEXIBILITY: The jury will value it if your automation comes with built-In adaptability. Examples are automated features for format change over, line clearance, adoption to product, built-in cleaning procedures or simplicity of re-qualification.
EASYNESS of INTEGRATION: Just imagine someone within the audience at our RAYA conference want to deploy your solution to his expected specific situation, please categorize the effort in the categories named by the jury in the template.
RESTRICTIONS: Please explain in one sentence each, why your application is included in the named focus of the award.
If you have your answers in mind for all parts described above, it will take you about an hour to complete the template. Be guided by the sentences colored in yellow – these mark all positions you must fill out in order to apply.
Criterias
Each concept or application are evaluated based on the below mentioned criterias. Please reflect the name of the Award: It is about “robotics”. Therefor the robot should be a major enabler within your application. This role must become clear within your description of the application.
- Within 1st priority we are focusing on the attractiveness of the applications and would like additional information to support a strong use-case and teaser describing the concept/application supported by quantified business drivers within the following areas impacted: Ergonomics, Improved Process Quality, Efficiency, 24/7 availability, Aseptic conditions, Human protection, Sustainability.
- Second priority is the economical potential of your application. Such calculations require assumptions which are sometimes difficult to judge – anyhow you will earn points in this category if and only if you present an argumentation based on reasonable assumptions. Finally, you must select one out of the four following “Return of investment” categories supported by your argumentation:
< 1 year; < 3 year; < 5 years; > 5 years - Third priority is attractiveness to be applied across pharma.
In order to convince the jury you have to provide an overview about the area within pharmaceutical industry where your application can be used in production plants and laboratories. - Fourth priority is the flexibility of your application. The jury will value if your automation comes with built-In adoptability. Examples are automated features for format change over, line clearance, adoption to product, built-in cleaning procedures or simplicity of re-qualification.
- Fifth priority is the easyness to integrate. We ask you to describe the effort of deploying your application to other customers. Categorize your application according to the five following options and describe for your arguments:
- Plug&Play: Anyone can buy it including qualifaction, apply without customization
- Anyone can buy it, apply without customization, but requires qualification
- Applicable with relevant customization (to be described)
- Concept is transferable but engineering must be adopted
- Concept is transferable but re-design necessary
Restrictions 2025
- Automation of manual/physical tasks (no software application only / no RPA)
- Robot centric automation
- no classic machinery without a robot
- Mobile robotics is included in RAYA
- Readynesslevel: (TRL 6 or 7)
- Minimum one installed pilot
- installed in the intended environment (manufacturing site / R&D site)
- safety certification started
- qualified or qualification scheduled
- Applicable within pharmaceutical industry
- There are no regional restrictions: Applications can include robotics applications from anywhere in the world!
Charly Coulon
INVITE GmbH
Dr Carl-Helmut Coulon joined Bayer in November 1997 after completing his doctorate in artificial intelligence. Throughout his career, his goal has been to support production with technology, mainly focusing on digitalisation and automation.
Since 2015, he has led the Future Manufacturing Concepts group at INVITE, a public-private partnership between Bayer AG, the Technical University of Dortmund and the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf. INVITE’s mission in this area is 100% in line with the mission of the Robotics Application of the Year Award: Accelerate the use of advanced robotics in our industry!
Henrik Hegelund Louw
Novo Nordisk A/S
Henrik Hegelund Louw have a background within various industries like consumer electronics, aerospace, defense, maritime, and pharmaceuticals with focus on innovation, product development and automation. Through his carrier he always had in scope to create the right conditions to effectively link research and development closer together so they can reach industry faster with a higher level of maturity.
Since 2014 he had been by Novo Nordisk in various positions within Strategy, innovation, and leadership.
Anne Holm Andersen
Novo Nordisk A/S
Anne Holm Andersen has worked within the pharmaceutical industry since 2008, and have gained significant experience in engineering projects and quality management, where she has been worked for companies such as NNE and ALK. Currently, Anne is working in Novo Nordisk as Sr. Project Manager, responsible for several expansions projects, and before that responsible for ensuring operational readiness of an isolator line; a production line supported with technology, focused on utilizing digitalization and automation solutions. Anne holds an MSc in Economics & Business Administration with a specialization in “Design and Communication Management” from Copenhagen Business School.
Since 2017 Anne has been a board member of ISPE Nordic.
Miguel Alvarina
Lonza
After studying Chemistry in Spain and Germany, Miguel Alvariño Gil began in the Quality Control department at Takeda in Ireland, later transitioning to Lonza in Switzerland, where he continued in a similar role. Following a stint leading QA Release activities at Paxvax, he rejoined Lonza, spearheading the digitalization of QC activities at Lonza Visp for three years.
Over the past four years, he has focused on automating and robotizing various QC lab activities, leveraging expertise in process optimization. Additionally, he holds an MBA in General Management, completed in 2017.
Andrea Tanzini
Director, Robotics Division – Italy at Staubli Robotics
Andrea holds a degree in Automation & Robotics Engineering, with a post graduate Master specialization in GMP production.
In addition to being steering committee member of ISPE’s “Future of Robotics” community, he is currently Director of the Italian division of Staubli Robotics, after coordinating the italian Life Science & Food team for multiple years – supporting System Integrators, OEMs, Engineering Companies and End Users in deploying high value-added robotic solutions to reduce contamination risk and increase production efficiency.
Andrea conducts on a regular basis lectures related to the implementation and use of Robotics in Pharmaceutical production – both at the University of Pavia and at AIFA (Italian Medicines Agency) and is principal author of the scientific paper published on Pharmaceutics: “Robotics and Aseptic Processing in View of Regulatory Requirements.”
Christine Eckardt
JNJ
Christine Eckardt has been part of the ISPE since more than 12 years and due to her absolute passion within new technologies it was clear to get a spot on the Robotics Application of the Year Award jury.
Since more than 20 years she is working within the pharmaceutical industry and always looking on the robotics and automation possibilities made her way very interesting. She is living her passion to always say – do it with passion or not at all.
Jochen Radmer
Hochschule Jade
Prof. Dr. Jochen Radmer joined Bayer AG in 2016 after holding several previous positions. Before that, he earned his doctorate and conducted research in the field of image processing for robot control.
At Bayer AG, he served as a subject matter expert in automation and robotics, fostering the cross-location networking of robotics experts within the company. During this time, he was additionally appointed to a professorship in Digital Production and Automation Engineering. This allows him to pursue his passionate goal of strengthening the connection between industry and academia by advancing robotics and innovative solutions in practice.
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