EPCOS’ Austrian subsidiary headquartered in Deutschlandsberg has reason to celebrate: For its development of the WLAN module the company received the Fast Forward Award 2006 from the Styrian Business Development Corporation (Steirische Wirtschaftsförderung) in Austria.

The key criteria for the award were the innovative research and development, the considerable user benefits of the new product and the rapid recognition of emerging market trends. In addition, the international jury assessed the potential positive impact of the innovation on the success of EPCOS and the Austrian economy as well as its ecological benefits.

With its ceramic multilayer modules EPCOS has tapped into the fast-growing market for WLAN applications. In 2004 EPCOS began producing complete front-end modules for WLAN applications. In the meantime, EPCOS has won a big-name manufacturer of processors for personal computers as a new key account. Besides the classic WLAN applications for PCs and notebooks, the greatest growth impulses are increasingly to be found in mobile communication devices, MP3-players or game consoles. The customer demands for miniaturization and increased functionality are especially high. WLAN modules from EPCOS, including integrated power amplifiers, measure just 4.5 x 3.2 x 1.4 mm.

The Fast Forward Award is presented annually for the best innovations developed in Styria. Over the past years the Fast Forward Award has developed into the biggest technology prize in Austria. In the category of large companies EPCOS placed ahead of four other nominees. Thus, EPCOS is the first company in the ten-year history of the Fast Forward Award to win the prize for a second time. Moreover, EPCOS was nominated for the Austrian State Prize for Innovation 2007.