From Material to Design Highlight: KURZ Wins the 2026 German Innovation Award

Fürth/Germany, May 13, 2026: LEONHARD KURZ has been honored with the German Innovation Award 2026 in the category ‘Excellence in Business to Business - Materials & Surfaces.’ The award recognizes the innovation ‘NFPP – Natural Fiber Decorations for Sustainable Surfaces,’ with which the company is setting new standards for sustainable and design-oriented surface solutions.

Sustainability, resource conservation, and design quality are key drivers of transformation in the automotive industry. With this award-winning solution, KURZ demonstrates how these requirements can be combined in an industrially scalable material and decoration concept. The focus is not on the material itself - Natural Fiber Polypropylene (NFPP) has been in use for years - but rather on its new, innovative application: The targeted decoration of natural fiber composites.

Natural material becomes a visible design statement

With the technology developed by KURZ, NFPP can now, be used not just as a hidden component, but can be deliberately made visible and enhanced as a design element. A specially developed PP-based surface structure bonds with the natural fiber composite under heat and pressure to form a stable matrix. This allows the natural fibers to emerge at the surface and become a defining design element.

The result is surfaces with a warm, organic feel and unique visual depth. At the same time, the technology opens up a wide range of design possibilities - from solid-color designs to patterns and multi-color gradients.

Lightweight construction, functionality, and recyclability combined

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, decorated NFPP impresses with its technical and sustainable properties: Components are up to 40 percent lighter than comparable plastic solutions while offering high mechanical stability.

Another key advantage lies in the material structure: By using polypropylene, the thermoplastic component remains homogeneous, ensuring the recyclability of the products.

Innovation ready for series production through strong partnerships

This award-winning solution is designed for industrial series production. Together with partners such as Polyvlies (fiber technology) and FRIMO (machine and tooling technology), KURZ was able to develop a stable, reproducible, and scalable process.

This makes decorated NFPP a future-proof solution for sustainable surfaces - not only in the automotive sector, but also in other industries such as furniture and interior design.

Innovation for the mobility of tomorrow

With this award, KURZ once again underscores its role as an innovation leader for functional and decorative surfaces. The combination of design freedom, material efficiency, and recyclability demonstrates how sustainable materials can be made not only functional but also emotionally engaging.