Microtec CEO Federico Giudiceandrea was awarded with the 2013 Schweighofer price

06 2013

Dott. Ing. Federico Giudiceandrea from Microtec, Italy was awarded with the 2013 Schweighofer price for his outstanding lifetime work. For over 30 years, Giudiceandrea has been a driving force behind groundbreaking new developments in electronic measurement and control systems for the wood processing industry as CEO and head of Microtec.

For the sixth time, on 4 June 2013, the Schweighofer Prize was awarded at Vienna’s City Hall. This European innovation award for the European forest-based industry is conferred every two years and worth a combined total of 300,000 Euros.

The Prize’s focus is on innovative ideas, technologies, products and services on all levels of the value-added chain involving the versatile material wood. Approximately 600 guests from 35 countries were present at Vienna’s City Hall for the award ceremony, in which Austrian Federal Ministers DI Niki Berlakovich (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management) and Rudolf Hundstorfer (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection), as well as Dr. Andreas Mailath-Pokorny (Viennese municipal councillor for culture) likewise took part.

The winner of the Main Prize comes from South Tyrol
The main prize has been awarded to Mr. Federico Giudiceandrea from Bressanone/Brixen, Italy. He was awarded for his outstanding lifetime work. For over 30 years, Giudiceandrea has been a driving force behind groundbreaking new developments in electronic measurement and control systems for the wood processing industry.

For over 33 years now Microtec’s biometric scanning solutions have helped to increase the added value in the timber and wood processing industry. By the use of opto-electronic systems and non-destructive evaluations Microtes is able to achieve a higher level of quality products. All of Microtec’s advanced sensor technologies and optimization software are designed and developed entirely in Microtec offices and are designed to automate, streamline and optimize every industrial production process. Microtec is proud to have introduced 2012 yet another worldwide uniqe solution: inline high-speed Computed Tomography. Currently there are three installations up and running: one in North America (hardwood veneer mill) since July 2012; one in Chile (sawmill) since September 2012; and one in France (one of the world's biggest log yards) since December 2012.

Wood as economic and innovation driver
Wood possesses an enormous range of potential as a building material, it is sustainable, and it represents an efficient use of resources. Approaches such as these have distinguished the Schweighofer Prize since its inception in 2003. The prize was initiated by the Schweighofer family, who own one of Europe’s leading wood-processing industrial companies. Their personal fascination with wood is the driving force behind the considerable effort that goes into this prize. The Material of Wood as a Catalyst of Innovation The Schweighofer Prize makes visible the contributions of wood-related research to innovations in Europe’s forest-based industry. Submitted projects range from visionary ideas to products that have already seen successful introduction to the market. The Schweighofer Prize reinforces awareness of this material’s nearly infinite range of possible uses.

The other innovation prizes go to:

  • Kielsteg Bauelement – a lightweight construction element with an excellent load-bearing capacity in relation to its own weight. Stefan Krestel, Ulrich Spiegel and Gernot Kulmer (Kielsteg GmbH), Austria. 
  • Glued-in metal plates – a totally new wood-steel-composite system with extremely high performance. RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Germany; project led by Leander Bathon
  • LifeCycle Tower – LCT ONE – Austria’s first eight-story office building realized as a hybrid timber construction. Hermann Kaufmann and Hubert Rhomberg, Austria
    Nordic Wooden Cities – a Nordic cooperation promoting modern urban development with wooden structures. Hans Andrén (Sweden) and Eva Britt Sager (Norway)