Since 1999, the Integrata Foundation has honoured outstanding individuals and projects that place information technology and artificial intelligence in the service of people — improving quality of life in tangible ways.
The Wolfgang Heilmann Award recognises work that makes a substantial contribution to improving quality of life through information technology. The emphasis is pragmatic: the award favours contributions that go beyond insight to offer concrete, realisable design proposals.
Eligible entries include academic work as well as software systems, inventions and documented proposals — in German or English — that serve the humane use of IT and AI. We look for solutions, not just diagnoses.
The award is decided by a jury drawn from members of the Foundation's Supervisory Board, Advisory Board and Board. Additional experts are invited as guest jurors to match each year's theme.
Concrete design proposals with clear practical relevance are at the centre.
The work makes a measurable contribution to improving quality of life.
People — not mere efficiency — stand at the heart of the application.
Preference is given to contributions with a high degree of implementation or a clear path to it.
The award bears the name of the founder of the Integrata Foundation — a pioneer who asked early on how technology could serve humanity.
In 1964, Wolfgang Heilmann founded the company Integrata, which he later transformed into a public corporation and led as chairman for many years. What began as a "working group for integrated data processing" became one of Germany's best-known IT training institutions.
His vision went beyond the purely rational use of technology: throughout his life, Heilmann championed a humane design of information technology — one in which IT raises the quality of life for individuals and society alike. This idea remains the core of the Integrata Foundation, which he established on 1 January 2000.
"IT should not only serve rationalisation, but enhance the quality of life of each individual."
The next presentation of the Wolfgang Heilmann Award is planned for 2028. The specific theme has not yet been determined. As soon as the thematic focus and the terms of the call for entries are set, we will announce them here in good time.
Updates and changes regarding the award will be published on this website in good time.