Audi wins European Inventor of the Year 2008

Every year the European Patent Office joins up with the European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry to honour some of the continent’s brightest minds as the European Inventors of the Year.  This year in the industry sector Audi Won.  

Audi’s Norbert Enning, Ulrich Klages, Heinrich Timm, Gundolf Kreis, Alois Feldschmid, Christian Dornberg and Karl Reiter (Germany) for revolutionising automotive manufacturing by making car frames lighter and safer through the use of aluminium - the invention of Audi Space Frame technology (ASF).

Norbert Enning, 51, is one of Audi’s most inventive employees. Enning and his team developed ASF technology under the leadership of Heinrich Timm in the early 80s. He comments on the development of the Audi Space frame

“The body of the Audi A8 utilizing the ASF principle is one of the lightest in the luxury class,”

Since joining Audi in 1982, Norbert has made inventions in the areas of pedestrian protection and interior appointments in addition to his numerous inventions relating to the ASF design. He is currently engaged in the predevelopment of vehicle concepts.