Beiersdorf’s Pearlfinder scheme wins innovation award

Beiersdorf has earned a Best Open Innovator Award 2011 for its work developing its Pearlfinder scheme, which encourages creative business concepts.

The health and personal care giant was awarded the industry accolade by the trade magazine Handelsblatt during the recent Open Innovation Conference in Berlin, winning in the category of best partnering.

Launched by Beiersdorf in January 2011, Pearlfinder is designed to encourage the flow of external concepts into the business by exchanging ideas with creative companies and thinkers.

Using an online communication platform, the company shares confidential insights into its expertise and strategies, allowing Pearlfinder contributors to offer ideas that are tailored to Beierdorf's needs.

Dr Klaus-Peter Wittern, head of Beiersdorf's research and development, said: "We are very proud of this award because it affirms our innovation strategy: making a concentrated effort to bring external ideas and technologies into the company."

This comes after the firm named Stefan Heidenreich as its new chief executive officer earlier this month, to succeed Thomas Quaas at the start of 2012.