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IFA Berlin unveils new innovation awards to spotlight tech breakthroughs
BERLIN: IFA Berlin, the world’s leading home and consumer technology event, has launched a new global awards programme: the IFA Innovation Awards. These awards, set to debut at IFA 2025 in Berlin, aim to celebrate exceptional innovation, design, and market impact within the industry.
Clarion Events managing director James McGough, stated that the awards will “recognise the Best of IFA, rewarding the incredible progress being made in home and consumer technology.” He added that the initiative would help identify brands “truly shaping how we live, work and play,” particularly those implementing AI and designing sustainable and accessible solutions.
Geekspin editor in chief and jury member Helena Stone highlighted that the IFA Innovation Awards represent “the natural evolution of IFA’s century-long commitment to showcasing the technologies that transform how we live, work, and connect.” She believes these awards will “spotlight the innovations that define the future of consumer technology” as IFA enters its second century.
The new awards follow IFA’s hundredth anniversary in 2024, which attracted over 215,000 visitors from 138 countries and more than 1,800 exhibitors.
The comprehensive programme will recognise innovations across various sectors, including smart home and IoT, sustainable technology, health and wellness tech, gaming and entertainment, mobile communication, audio-visual excellence, kitchen and home appliances, and emerging technologies. Winners will receive either the official IFA “Best of category” or “Innovation Award” certification, along with full licensing rights to use the awards logo. Additional benefits include an exclusive showcase at IFA 2026’s Innovation Gallery, prominent placement across IFA’s global media channels, and coverage in official IFA publications and social media.
Helena Stone affirmed that the IFA Innovation Awards are poised to “become the gold standard for consumer technology recognition in Europe and beyond,” with an international jury of experts ensuring the winners represent “truly groundbreaking achievements.”
The awards are open to manufacturers, designers, engineers, start-ups, and technology companies worldwide. Eligible products must be innovative consumer technology or home appliance solutions commercially launched between 1 February 2025 and 30 April 2026, and must be available in European markets. Applications are now open, with an independent panel of global technology experts, industry analysts, and innovation specialists overseeing the evaluation process.
Brands
Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
