Knorr-Bremse has awarded €100,000 ($117,500) total in prize money to four green-tech startups developing automated disassembly and critical raw material recovery technologies, signaling the braking systems supplier’s planned entry into the green technologies sector. The Knorr-Bremse Circular Technology Award was presented at IFAT Munich in partnership with the Heinz Hermann Thiele Family Foundation and CIRCULAR REPUBLIC. More than 50 startups submitted entries across two categories: Automated Disassembly and Critical Raw Material Recovery. Each winner receives €25,000 ($29,400), with proof-of-concept funding of up to €150,000 ($176,300) available twice for the most promising approaches.
Highlights
- Four startups selected from more than 50 applicants across two categories at IFAT Munich
- Each winner receives €25,000 ($29,400) plus access to up to €150,000 ($176,300) in proof-of-concept funding
- Categories cover automated battery disassembly, e-waste dismantling, ionometallurgy, and hydrogen-based magnet recycling
- Marks Knorr-Bremse’s planned entry into green technologies as part of broader portfolio expansion
Automated Disassembly Winners
Two startups were recognized for robotic disassembly technologies addressing battery and electronic waste streams.
R3 Robotics of Luxembourg won for its AI-controlled robotic lines designed for automated and safe disassembly of batteries. The technology targets one of the most operationally hazardous steps in battery recycling, where thermal runaway and chemical exposure risks have historically limited throughput.
Hiro Robotics of Italy was honored for non-destructive, robot-based dismantling of electronic waste. The non-destructive approach is significant because conventional shredding-based recycling destroys component value, while intact extraction preserves higher-margin remanufacturing pathways.
Both winners are positioned to scale remanufacturing economics, an area Knorr-Bremse already operates in through its commercial vehicle aftermarket division.
Critical Raw Material Recovery Winners
The second category focused on metals and rare-earth element recovery from end-of-life products.
DEScycle of the United Kingdom was recognized for an ionometallurgy process that recovers metals from electronic waste with low emissions. Ionometallurgy uses ionic liquids as solvents, an alternative to high-temperature pyrometallurgy and acid-intensive hydrometallurgy that dominate current recycling chemistry.
HyProMag of Germany won for a hydrogen-based recycling process targeting high-performance permanent magnets. Rare-earth magnets used in EV motors, wind turbines, and consumer electronics rely on neodymium and dysprosium supply chains concentrated heavily in China — a dependency European industrial policy has flagged as a strategic vulnerability.
Strategic Context for Knorr-Bremse
Marc Llistosella, CEO of Knorr-Bremse AG, framed the award as part of a deliberate move into circular economy markets. “An exciting growth sector like green tech requires creative solutions. Our Knorr-Bremse Circular Technology Award gives startups the chance to rethink automated dismantling and smart recycling—with impressive results, including visionary applications of AI robotics and high-tech processes with great potential,” Llistosella said. “Especially now, as the demand for raw materials is rising sharply, we want to be among the first to harness this potential and develop it into profitable business models.”
The award builds on Knorr-Bremse’s existing circular economy initiatives, including its ESB REMAN ECU repair service launched with Cojali in late 2025, which reconditions over 1,100 electronic control unit references for commercial vehicles. The supplier was also named the only German recipient of Schneider Electric’s 2024 Global Sustainability Impact Award last October.
Dr. Matthias Ballweg, co-founder of CIRCULAR REPUBLIC, positioned the technologies in a broader European industrial policy context. “Anyone serious about raw material sovereignty in Europe must invest in the industrialization of the circular economy. This means automated disassembly and intelligent recycling. Thanks to these technologies, the circular economy is becoming a business model on a large scale—for startups, for companies, and for Europe. Europe is already taking a leading role globally in this area and is building new export hits based on these technologies,” Ballweg said.
Industry Context
The award arrives as European raw material sovereignty has moved from rhetoric to regulation. The EU Critical Raw Materials Act, which entered into force in 2024, set 2030 benchmarks requiring at least 25% of strategic raw materials consumed in the bloc to come from recycling, alongside extraction and processing targets designed to reduce dependence on single-country suppliers. For Tier-1 automotive suppliers like Knorr-Bremse, the regulatory direction creates both compliance pressure on existing supply chains and an opening to monetize recovery technologies that competitors will need.
Knorr-Bremse’s 2025 results, reported in February 2026, posted operating EBIT exceeding €1 billion ($1.18 billion) on revenues of €7.82 billion ($9.19 billion), with the company outlining a second-phase BOOST program focused on growth investments. The Circular Technology Award represents one channel for that growth strategy, alongside acquisitions including duagon Group and TRAVIS Road Services completed last year.
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