Hopper increases efficiency in the highly regulated syringe manufacturing industry by up to 18%—and was recognized by Siemens for this achievement.
Munich - The Fraunhofer IPA technology spin-off plus10 has been awarded second place in the prestigious Industrial AI Award at Siemens' international "AI with Purpose Summit". The award recognizes pioneering solutions that unlock the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in industrial applications, and demonstrably create real added value in production, energy and infrastructure.
From more than 60 applications evaluated, ten startups were selected as finalists. plus10 GmbH, with offices in Augsburg and Stuttgart, impressed the jury with its innovative AI solution, Hopper—the Quality Optimizer. This solution learns in real time from high-frequency machine control data of complex processes, as well as from related contextual data sources such as injection molding of small medical devices, associated temperature control equipment, and raw material databases.
As Boris Scharinger, SIEMENS Digital Industries - Innovation Management, pointed out, it is very impressive how plus10, as a young Fraunhofer spin-off, successfully operates in the very demanding and highly regulated pharmaceutical and medical technology industry and at the same time generates significant real benefits of +10% on average through its optimization tools.
As part of the summit, Felix Georg Müller (CEO and co-founder of plus10) and Simon Hug (Head of Global Account Development at ZAHORANSKY, a specialty machinery manufacturer based in Freiburg) jointly presented a real-world use case in the field of medical syringe production featuring injection-molded needles, known as “staked needle syringes”: The plus10AI tool “Hopper” is used here to ensure that the challenging material COC “glass-like plastics” can be processed with maximum efficiency in 24/7 operation, enabling a 6–18% increase in efficiency during continuous operation. This was supported by videos from actual production and user feedback, presented as tangible AI-driven added value, and discussed with the audience.
About the use case: The focus was on the use of the plus10 tool named “Hopper” on the “PRIMA Z Syringe” system, a fully automated production line from ZAHORANSKY for manufacturing so-called “staked needle syringes” using multi-cavity tools and associated fully automated system technology. The presentation demonstrated how HOPPER helps increase efficiency and product quality around the clock in GMP-regulated medical and pharmaceutical production—an area where the highest quality standards must be combined with maximum process stability. At the same time, it is essential to comply with regulations regarding Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) at all times.
With Hopper, plus10’s Quality Optimizer, the startup plus10 is bringing an AI solution to industrial manufacturing that takes data-driven process optimization to a new level. The tool continuously analyzes high-frequency machine data in real time, as well as relevant contextual data sources such as raw material data, environmental characterization, etc., and automatically counters detected fluctuations. This automatically generates situation-specific recommendations for optimizing process parameters—for example, in the injection molding of elastomers, challenging engineering thermoplastics, or applications involving particularly high recycled content in PCR processing.
The goal is to simultaneously minimize scrap and shorten cycle times in order to maximize the overall yield per hour. The success is measurable: Hopper increases this yield by 8–18%, which directly translates into more stable and higher output, thereby also making downstream processes and the supply chain more robust.
In addition, the solution supports multi-machine operation by recommending specific actions for all connected systems during tool change and set-up or when setting up for the "first shot", which can shorten this phase by up to 20%, for example.
The AI with Purpose Summit (May 20–21, 2025, Munich) brought together leading representatives from academia, industry, the media, and startups. The event’s goal is to highlight practical AI solutions for industrial applications, foster networking, and accelerate their scaling.
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