"BAYERNS BEST 50" announced

07/28/2026
Reading time 5 Minutes

Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs honours 50 high-growth SMEs from across Bavaria | Special awards presented for sustainability, outstanding commitment to vocational training, and “Bavarian Businesswoman of the Year” | Baker Tilly serves as an independent and impartial jury member

Munich, 31 July 2026 – The winners of "BAYERNS BEST 50" 2026 have been announced. Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger honoured particularly high-growth medium-sized enterprises with the coveted white “Bavarian Growth Lion” award. During a festive ceremony at Schleissheim Palace, the award was presented for the 25th consecutive year to companies that have demonstrated exceptional growth in revenue and headcount over the past five years.

The Sustainability Award was presented to MUNK GmbH (Günzburg). The title of “Bavarian Businesswoman of the Year” was awarded to Julia Werner of Werner Companies GmbH & Co. KG (Ergolding). Additional special awards for outstanding commitment to vocational training were presented to SUSPA GmbH (Nuremberg) and SCHAPFL IT-Scannerkassen GmbH (Straubing).

Once again, Baker Tilly acted as an independent jury member and was responsible for organising and conducting the competition.

The award-winning companies exemplify the strength and resilience of Bavaria’s SME sector. They prevailed against a large number of owner-managed businesses from across the state that applied for the prestigious award by documenting their growth stories with verifiable business figures. Supported in many cases by the extensive use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this year’s winners have successfully navigated challenging economic conditions and continue to make a significant contribution to employment, innovation and regional value creation.

BAYERNS BEST 50: Celebrating Role Models and Drivers of Confidence for 25 Year
“BAYERNS BEST 50 was launched 25 years ago. Over the course of a quarter century, Bavarian SMEs have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to overcome a wide range of challenges and have been recognised for doing so. They have consistently acted with foresight and innovative strength, serving as role models and sources of inspiration for the wider business community,” said Hubert Aiwanger, Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria and Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy. “Today, I once again had the pleasure of honouring 50 Bavarian companies that consistently seize growth opportunities, create jobs and thereby form the backbone of Bavaria’s economy.”

Over the past five years, the revenues of the BAYERNS BEST 50 companies have nearly doubled on average, while their workforce has expanded significantly. Looking ahead, the award-winning companies expect average growth of approximately 9 percent in the current financial year.

Artificial Intelligence Meets Bavarian Entrepreneurship
“Once again this year, Baker Tilly was delighted to support BAYERNS BEST 50 as an independent and impartial jury member. What stood out in particular was the extent to which Artificial Intelligence is already being applied in day-to-day business operations through clearly identifiable and measurable business cases. We can confidently say that wherever AI and Bavarian entrepreneurial spirit come together, growth follows,” said Prof. Dr. Thomas Edenhofer, Managing Partner Audit & Advisory and partner responsible for BAYERNS BEST 50 at Baker Tilly.

Special Awards for Sustainability, “Bavarian Businesswoman of the Year” and Outstanding Commitment to Vocational Training
In addition to the main awards, several special honours were presented. MUNK GmbH (Günzburg) received the Sustainability Award, recognising, among other factors, its clearly communicated sustainability strategy, the use of recognised environmental certifications and the strong integration of sustainability within corporate governance.

Julia Werner of Werner Companies GmbH & Co. KG (Ergolding) was named Bavarian Businesswoman of the Year. Her company has shown an outstanding business performance worthy of a BAVARIA’S BEST 50 award. Through her exceptional personal commitment and leadership over the past five years, she has played a decisive role in this success.

Further special awards for vocational training excellence were presented to SUSPA GmbH (Nuremberg), which employs the highest absolute number of apprentices, and SCHAPFL IT-Scannerkassen GmbH (Straubing), which achieved the highest proportion of apprentices relative to its workforce.

Selected from More Than 10,000 SMEs
At the beginning of the year, companies from all Bavarian administrative regions, industries and a broad range of size categories were invited to participate in the competition. Through extensive database analysis and with the support of chambers of commerce, municipalities and business associations, more than 10,000 medium-sized enterprises were identified as meeting the basic eligibility criteria.

On behalf of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Baker Tilly evaluated all applications and determined both the winners of BAYERNS BEST 50 and the recipients of the special awards.

BAYERNS BEST 50 (2026)

– Listed in alphabetical order –