Innovationspreis Bayern 2026 for CuNex® – A Joint Success with SCHLENK and Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt
Award recognizes innovative copper sintering technology – SCHLENK previously honored with a main prize in 2022
Munich/Barnsdorf, October 26, 2026. CuNex GmbH has received the Innovationspreis Bayern 2026 (Bavarian Innovation Award) in the category “Wirtschaft trifft Wissenschaft” (Business Meets Science). At the award ceremony held at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger, and representatives of the Bavarian chambers of commerce and crafts recognized the innovation “Kupfersintern – Die nachhaltige Sinter-Revolution” (Copper Sintering – The Sustainable Sintering Revolution).
The award-winning technology is the result of close collaboration between CuNex®, the SCHLENK Group, and Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI). Using specially developed copper sintering pastes, it enables durable and reliable bonds between electronic components, offering a high-performance, cost-effective alternative to conventional silver-based bonding technologies.
A key foundation of this innovation is SCHLENK's longstanding expertise in metal-based materials. The family-owned company develops and manufactures highly specialized copper powders whose precisely engineered particle characteristics and surface properties are essential to the performance of the sintering pastes. It is the combination of copper powder, paste formulation, and sintering process that makes industrial application possible.
CuNex® was jointly founded by Dr.-Ing. Sri Krishna Bhogaraju and SCHLENK. Together, they have advanced copper sintering technology from scientific research to industrial application.
“This award demonstrates what can be achieved when scientific research, entrepreneurial spirit, and industrial expertise come together,” says Joachim von Schlenk, CEO of the SCHLENK Group. “Our particular strength lies in developing and manufacturing metal-based materials in ways that enable new technological applications. CuNex® is an excellent example of this.”
The technology offers significant potential in power electronics, particularly for electric mobility, energy supply, and AI data centers. It is already in use in the aerospace sector. The innovation demonstrates how Bavarian research and the materials expertise of a long-established family business can give rise to technologies for international growth markets: “Made in Bavaria. Made for the world.”
This is not SCHLENK's first recognition at the Innovationspreis Bayern. In 2022, the company received a main prize for its innovative Zenexo® pigment technology. The latest award once again highlights the SCHLENK Group's innovative strength and its continued evolution into a supplier of highly specialized metal-based materials.
