Introducing the 2026 Industrial Innovation Awards Honorees
Manufacturing doesn't stand still, and the products built to keep it moving shouldn't have to fight for attention. The Industrial Innovation Awards, presented by New Equipment Digest and Plant Services, exist to put a spotlight on the equipment and technology actually doing the work: closing gaps, cutting downtime, and making plants, and the people who run them, better at their jobs.
Every entry in this year's program was judged against the same five measures: What's genuinely new here? Is the value backed by data, specs, or documented results? Would this work on a real plant floor, under real conditions? Is it built for the environment it's meant to operate in? And does it solve a problem manufacturers face every day?
Platinum — The highest honor in the program, awarded to products that excelled across the board.
Gold — Strong, well-rounded products with clear, standout merit.
Silver — Solid products delivering recognized value to the industry.
Products that delivered on those measures rose to the top, earning recognition at the Platinum, Gold, or Silver level. Each tier reflects a different degree of that same standard, rewarding real innovation, real value, and real fit for the plants and people using it.
What follows in this gallery is a list of products built to matter.
To every honoree: congratulations! Researching, developing, and bringing a product to market is long, demanding work, and you deserve recognition for helping move this industry forward.
We hope you enjoy this year's honorees. Whatever your operation looks like, there's something in these pages worth your attention.
Submissions for the 2027 Industrial Innovation Awards open early next year. We hope to see you in these pages again, or for the first time.
About the Author
Laura Davis
Editor-in-Chief, New Equipment Digest
Laura Davis is the editor in chief of New Equipment Digest (NED), a brand part of the Manufacturing Group at EndeavorB2B. NED covers all products, equipment, solutions, and technology related to the broad scope of manufacturing, from mops and buckets to robots and automation. Laura has been a manufacturing product writer for eight years, knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the industry, along with what readers are looking for when wanting to learn about the latest products on the market.
Anna TownshendAnna Townshend
Managing Editor of Control Design and Plant Services – Endeavor Business Media
Anna Townshend has been in B2B magazine publishing for more than a decade. She took her love for business journalism to a new industry in June 2020, where she is the managing editor of Control Design and Plant Services, published by Endeavor Business Media.
Plant Services helps plant operations make the most of smart manufacturing processes and asset management.
Control Design serves industrial machine builders and the OEM market for industrial controls.