Sustainability made visible: 1 evening, over 150 guests, 19 nominees and 7 award winners – TRIGOS honors Austria’s pioneers.

For over two decades, TRIGOS—Austria's most important award for responsible business—has highlighted pioneers in the domestic economy who contribute to sustainable development with entrepreneurial courage and a spirit of innovation. With over 3,100 submissions and 318 award-winning projects since its inception, TRIGOS is a central platform for those who demonstrate that economic success and social responsibility go hand in hand.

The award-winning initiatives originate from all regions and company sizes and exemplify the diversity and strength of sustainable entrepreneurship in Austria. From a total of 155 submissions, 19 outstanding and innovative projects were nominated – seven of which particularly impressed the high-caliber expert jury and received the coveted TRIGOS trophy.

The nominees and winners of TRIGOS 2025 were celebrated yesterday with an inspiring gala event at the Markterei, a former hydraulic engineering laboratory. Over 150 distinguished guests from business, politics, and civil society honored the exceptional companies whose projects impressively demonstrate how economic, ecological, and social responsibility is put into practice.

"The TRIGOS Award impressively demonstrates that economic success and climate and environmental protection go hand in hand. 155 submissions send a strong message: Austrian companies are taking responsibility and demonstrating that green growth is possible. As Minister for Climate and Environmental Protection, it is important to me that we support our companies with targeted funding, less bureaucracy, and faster procedures. In this way, we create the conditions for innovations to be implemented more quickly. My thanks go to all companies and their employees whose commitment is making Austria fit for the future," said Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Hydropower.

"The energy transition and competitiveness are inextricably linked. They are crucial for the growth and future of our business location. Only if we succeed in developing innovative and sustainable solutions can we guarantee security of supply, secure prosperity, and lead Austria to the forefront of international competition. The companies honored as part of the TRIGOS program impressively demonstrate what this path can look like in practice: They combine climate protection with economic strength, are role models for responsible entrepreneurship, and thus make a dual contribution – to a climate-fit future and to a strong, resilient economy. As a representative of the BMWET, I am delighted with the success of this event and the impetus it provides for the sustainable transformation of our economy," said State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism.

"Social sustainability is not a nice-to-have, but a key success factor for our society. Those who invest in good working conditions, affordable childcare, or workplace health promotion relieve the burden on our healthcare system in the long term, strengthen the foundation of our business location – and actively combat the shortage of skilled workers and old-age poverty," says State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig, Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection.

The TRIGOS Austria Award Winners 2025

Climate Protection Category: LAUFEN Austria (Lower Austria), Austria's sole manufacturer of sanitary ceramics and the bathroom specialist, has developed the world's first electric tunnel kiln for sanitary ceramics – a milestone for the industry. The new technology saves energy, reduces CO₂, and demonstrates how climate-friendly production is possible. The project serves as a model for related industries.

Regional Value Creation Category: Die Pflanzerei (W) is Austria's first vegan butcher chain, offering alternatives to traditional meat and sausages. With the project "Regional Value Creation for Plant-Based Meat Alternatives," the company supports traditional regional businesses such as delicatessens and bakeries in their transition to plant-based alternatives. Through recipes, training, and sales, it strengthens regional value creation, secures jobs, and sustainably advances the food transition.

Employee Initiatives category: Kollar GmbH (Lower Austria), operating in the installation and building technology sector, combines New Work with Inner Work. The family business, led by Maria Kollar, promotes holistic health care and personal development for its employees with coaching, bodywork, training, and more – paid during working hours. This strengthens the company's culture and economic success.

International Engagement Category: Klimja, part of crowd4projects GmbH (W), is the leading crowdinvestment platform for climate protection projects in Austria and Germany, enabling investors to invest in selected projects that have a proven economic and social impact, including internationally. With additional educational offerings and 30 funded projects, Klimja demonstrates how private capital can contribute to the climate transition.

Exemplary Projects category: öKlo (Lower Austria) develops and rents ecological composting toilets that operate without water, electricity, or chemicals. With "öKlo Land," the company is taking the next step: in collaboration with municipalities, research institutions, and environmental organizations, öKlo is working on a circular economy that transforms human waste into biogas, fertilizer, and building materials—while simultaneously generating renewable energy. Sustainable and innovative.

Social Innovation & Future Challenges category: Rhomberg Bau (Vbg), a Vorarlberg-based construction company, has created a solution for silty excavated soil with Austria's largest wet processing plant. This "largest washing machine in Austria" recycles excavated soil into high-quality primary material in an energy-efficient manner and with minimal water consumption—a strong example of the circular economy in construction.

Special Prize: With "Climate. Knowledge. Action!", the Vienna Technical Museum (W) is setting new standards in communicating complex environmental and climate issues. The interactive permanent exhibition conveys the causes and consequences of the climate crisis, draws connections to biodiversity, resource scarcity, and social change, and presents concrete options for action – a significant contribution to raising awareness and promoting social transformation toward sustainability.

"For our domestic companies, the TRIGOS is far more than an award. It is a visible symbol of lived responsibility, commitment, and social role modeling. Not only the winners, but also the nominees can be proud of their achievements to date. All of these companies inspire others to also assume responsibility. The TRIGOS rightly puts innovative projects in the spotlight and gives them the attention they deserve," says Federation of Austrian Industries Secretary General Christoph Neumayer.