© Siemens

Werner Hartmann (61) has spent his entire professional life at Siemens Corporate Technology in Erlangen, where he has brought one invention after another out of the cradle. According to the company, the range of his ideas is particularly astonishing: They range from vacuum switching technology for the energy sector to new processes for mining, the automotive and even the food industry. His credo: "Always think outside the box, as far as possible." He received the "Inventor of the Year 2016" award in the "Lifetime achievement" category.