German Future Prize 2023 goes to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region

German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented the 2023 German Future Prize¹ to Stephan Biber and David Grodzki from Siemens Healthineers alongside Prof. Dr. Michael Uder, Director of the Institute of Radiology at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Chair of Diagnostic Radiology at FAU. The team developed the new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) platform Magnetom Free and integrated it into routine clinical procedures. 

MRI plays a key role in diagnosing numerous conditions, and yet over half the world’s population does not have access to the technology. In their efforts to change that, the team left no stone unturned, modifying each of the system’s central components. They began by implementing an innovative magnet cooling system that dramatically reduced helium requirements from as much as 1,500 liters to only 0.7 liters per system. The team also integrated artificial intelligence in image reconstruction for superior image quality and precision diagnosis. Further key innovations are the platform’s new compact design, its 80-centimeter bore - the largest on the market - and its intuitive operating system for medical staff. Thanks to the reduced field strength of 0.55 tesla, compared to conventional systems with 1.5 - 3 tesla, new markets have been opened up for MRI, not only geographically but also clinically: Among others, this enables considerably improved pulmonary imaging with MRI and allows patients with implants to be scanned much more accurately. 

“My sincere congratulations go out to Stephan Biber, David Grodzki, Michael Uder, and the whole team for winning the German Future Prize,” said Bernd Montag, CEO of Siemens Healthineers. “Their invention, Magnetom Free, improves access to quality medical imaging and precision diagnostics for people all over the world and marks a great step in democratizing healthcare. Moreover, the dramatic reduction of the resources needed to produce and operate the system underscores our commitment to sustainability.” 

“We're very excited about this award,” said the team’s representative, Stephan Biber. As system architect, Biber was instrumental in shaping the development of the new MRI platform. “For us, the German Future Prize is emblematic of Germany’s standing as a force for innovation in the world. It is here we developed Magnetom Free, and now the system is helping people around the globe.” 

The two individual systems that make up the Magnetom Free platform - Magnetom Free.Max and Magnetom Free.Star - are already used in almost 50 countries around the world, including developing as well as industrialized countries such as Germany and the United States. 

The Magnetom Free platform is a testament to the high value Siemens Healthineers places on sustainable innovation: In fiscal year 2023, Siemens Healthineers invested around €1.8 billion in research and development. That figure translates to approximately 8.5 percent of the company’s revenue.