With its innovative Japanese magnetic freezing technology, the Spanish company PROTON EUROPE SL has won the FROZEN! dti Innovation Award . sponsored by the AFC and Anuga 2025. Manuel Ayllón, CEO of Proton Europe, and Alejandro Ayllón Tulla , Director of Operations for Central Europe at Proton Europe, defeated fellow finalists Bio-Frost Westhof GmbH and Delphi GmbH in a live presentation to the jury and audience at the major food trade fair Anuga, held in Cologne on October 7.
This year, around 70 companies from around the world submitted their innovative ideas to the FROZEN! dti Innovation Award – a powerful testament to the industry’s global creativity and dynamism. The winning team embodies this pioneering spirit and proves that courage and creative ideas make all the difference. Congratulations to Proton Europe! , said Sabine Eichner , Managing Director of the German Frozen Food Institute ( dti ), and Anselm Elles, Managing Director of AFC Consulting Group AG ( AFC ), together with Anuga, the organizer of the competition.
This recognition places PROTON EUROPE SL at the heart of the global technological vanguard , validating its ability to transform the freezing paradigm through an approach based on the molecular physics of water.
dti Innovation Award recognizes international innovations from and for the frozen food industry every two years at Anuga in Cologne. In the anniversary year, ” 70 Years of Frozen Food in Germany ,” the competition motto was: “Frozen Food Meets the Future: Towards the Food World of Tomorrow with Frozen Food!” Frozen products for the German retail trade were first presented at Anuga in 1955.
WINNER 2025: PROTON EUROPE SL
Thanks to the innovative Japanese technology ” Proton Magnetic Freezing “, PROTON EUROPE SL is able to freeze food in such a way that cellular structures, and therefore the flavor, texture, and nutrients, are preserved even better than with conventional methods. Thanks to close collaboration with Japanese technology developers and research in the European market, PROTON EUROPE SL is driving the introduction of processes that raise the quality and shelf life of food to a new level, thus creating a decisive innovative advantage.
Manuel Ayllón, CEO of PROTON EUROPE SL: “We believe that magnetic freezing is a technology that will decisively mark the future of the frozen food industry in Europe. 100 years after the invention of the first plate freezer by the frozen food pioneer, Clarence Birdseye , the time has come to take the next technological leap. We want to change the way the world thinks about frozen food. Thank you so much for the FROZEN! 2025 Innovation Award !
This German recognition consolidates the company as an international benchmark for technological innovation and reliability, under a seal of seriousness, precision, and industrial excellence that only Germany can bestow .
dti Innovation Award
The FROZEN! dti Innovation Award , supported by AFC and Anuga, recognizes achievements that shape the future, following the example of the “inventor of frozen food,” Clarence Birdseye . The American naturalist invented the plate freezer more than 100 years ago, laying the foundation for an industry that continues to thrive. With the FROZEN! dti Innovation Award , dti showcases the innovative power of the frozen food industry and the forward-thinking frozen food category, which contributes to solving nutritional challenges today, just as it did 100 years ago. The competition, which premiered at Anuga 2023, is aimed at both startups and established companies from Germany and abroad. The high-caliber jury includes industry experts from companies, associations, academia, and more.
dti Innovation Award will be presented at Anuga 2027 in Cologne.
The German Frozen Food Institute ( dti ) is the promotional and communication platform for the frozen food industry in Germany. As the leading association, it represents more than 150 mainly medium-sized companies from all stages of the food chain, from manufacturing to logistics and retail. With total sales of more than €22 billion, the frozen food industry is one of the most important sectors in the food industry.
