Forster Rohner wins LEADER Digital Award

At the Digital Award Night held on May 4 at the Einstein Congress in St.Gallen, Forster Rohner AG claimed the LEADER Digital Award 2023. Founded in 1904 and today regarded as one of the world's leading manufacturers of embroidery for lingerie, ready-to-wear garments and haute couture, the company was named as one of four winners in the Business category. “Forster Rohner has successfully reimagined how a traditional company can operate in the future in exemplary fashion”, according to comments from the jury in a press release issued by the textile manufacturer.

The company has “revolutionized conventional embroidery industry processes” the jury writes in its online announcement of the award winners. In collaboration with the Dutch 3D studio and bodywear specialists HyperCurve, Forster Rohner has developed a software solution that uses coordinates to control its embroidery machines with the aim of creating a photorealistic image of the physical embroidery, without requiring a physical pattern as a template. This is described as “globally unique”.

To this end, the team has also turned to expertise from the gaming industry, Forster Rohner writes in its press release. “With the digital embroidery workflow, we have developed an innovative solution that uses less material, cuts our carbon footprint and at the same time ensures that the process is not only faster and more efficient, but also more cost-effective”, as Elisheva Senn, Director Business Unit Lingerie, explains.

Other winners honored by the Eastern Switzerland business portal LEADER include Siresca AG from Frauenfeld in the canton of Thurgau in the Start-ups category and St.Galler Stadtwerke in the Organization category. The public prize went to SBW Haus des Lernens in Romanshorn in the canton of Thurgau. This is the third time that exemplary digital projects based in Eastern Switzerland have been recognized with this award. The competition aims to increase the visibility of the region’s digital excellence. ce/mm