Messe Essen has presented the new jury for the Security Innovation Award and has introduced a fourth prize category: Cyber security/Economic security. For the first time, the prize is also being conferred in the category of cyber security/economic security. The top-class expert knowledge of the jury will be combined for these awards.

The team of top decision makers has been reconfigured before this important award within the international security industry is presented for the sixth time at the leading global trade fair Security Essen, taking place from 25 to 28 September 2018: In future three new members will add to the expertise of the committee, which is not associated with any manufacturers.
One of these members is Klaus Brüggenolte, Vice President of the NRW Chamber of Architects. He will be representing an important group of visitors and exhibitors at Security Essen in his specialist field. Another new member is Michael Ridder, Security Manager (Germany) of Uniper Global Commodities SE, who will be bringing increased focus to the global perspective of the jury as a result of his work in an international group.

New cyber security/economic security prize category
The team has gained a renowned expert from the field of cyber security and economic security in Prof. Hartmut Pohl of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI - Society for Information Science). As spokesman of the steering committee focused on “data privacy and IT security” at SoftScheck GmbH, he has made it possible to present the Security Innovation Award in this category for the first time.
Cyber security and economic security are a focal topic in their own right at Security Essen 2018. A high-profile specialist conference is also being organised in collaboration with the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI - German Federal Office for Information Security) and the Bundesverband Sicherheitstechnik e.V (BHE - Federal Association for Security Technology).
“Protection from attacks on IT security and industrial espionage has long been gaining in importance in the security economy” says Julia Jacob, Security Essen project head at Messe Essen. “With the new strategic direction of the prize and also by making it a focal topic and by organising a specialist conference at the trade fair, we are staying abreast of this.”

Technology & products, services and fire protection
The Security Innovation Award will also be presented in the categories of Technology & Products, Services and Fire Protection.
Any exhibitor can submit an application for this from 1 March to 15 June 2018. The jury will evaluate applications based on the criteria of innovative content, user benefits, economic viability, reliability and feasibility.
Jens Washausen has been heading up this specialist committee since 2016. Mr Washausen is a member of the Board of the Bundesverband unabhängiger deutscher Sicherheitsberater und -Ingenieure e. V. (BdSI - Federal Association for independent German security consultants and engineers) and is Managing Director of GEOS GmbH. For global travel security experts, one thing is certain: “Winning such an award is a clear quality commitment to private, commercial, governmental and industrial users of security solutions all over the world and specialists within our sector.”

Individual members of the jury
As well as Jens Washausen, the other members of the jury are: Stefan Berger, deputy CEO of BHE e. V., Alarm- & Sicherheitstechnik Berger GmbH; Ulrich Bogdahn, Director of the Fire Brigade of the City of Essen; Klaus Brüggenolte, Vice President of the NRW Chamber of Architects; Florian Haacke, Head of Group Security at innogy SE; Marcus Heide, publicist; Karl-Heinz Hollung, Managing Director of HSC Hollung Security Consult GmbH; Andreas Nenner, Director Corporate Security Fresenius SE & Co. KgaA; Dr. Harald Olschok, Managing Director of BDSW e. V.; Prof. Hartmut Pohl of the Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI) - spokesman of the steering committee for "data privacy and IT security" at SoftScheck GmbH; Michael Ridder, Security Manager at Uniper Global Commodities SE; Thomas Urban, Managing Director and Divisional Head of Security at VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH as well as students at the Hochschule für Öffentliche Verwaltung, Bremen (Bremen School of Public Administration).