Innovation

New ideas have made Melitta great

That's why innovations are still an important prerequisite for our long-term success today. For us, innovation means continuously developing what already exists and creating new solutions that support people in their everyday lives and our business partners in their markets.

This includes new products and editions as well as the further development of workflows and processes. Digitization projects and the use of artificial intelligence open up new possibilities for communication, collaboration, process design and contemporary brand experiences.

Innovation starts with courage

Innovation also shapes the further development of the group of companies itself. New business areas, strategic partnerships and investments in innovative start-ups are just as much a part of this as ideas for products and business models that go beyond today's core business. Innovation arises wherever people recognize needs, ask questions and have the courage to try out new ways.

In this way, we combine grown expertise with new perspectives. We further develop what already exists, create space for ideas and identify opportunities at an early stage. After all, those who know their roots and are open to new paths remain successful in the long term.

Goldfarbener Metallbecher mit Henkel, freigestellt auf einem schwarzen quadratischen Sockel vor dunklem Hintergrund, stimmungsvoll beleuchtet.

Advancing ideas together

Responsibility for innovations in the core business lies with the individual divisions. They continuously develop their products, product ranges and processes and align them closely with the needs of their markets.

They are supported in this by the Corporate Innovation Team. Since 2016, it has been strengthening Melitta's innovative capacity, accompanying transformation processes and opening up new business areas. The team observes future trends, teaches innovation skills and brings people and ideas together. It is also responsible for investments in innovative start-ups. Since 2025, the team has been passing on the experience and methods it has gained to other companies in the form of workshops, training courses and keynotes under the comorrow^® by Melitta Group brand.

The Melitta Group creates additional strategic freedom for innovations beyond its current core business. These include the 10X Innovation incubator and Next Generation Ventures. Together, they support the development of new products, business models and strategic partnerships. In this way, innovation remains closely linked to the business and at the same time receives the space that good ideas need.

Our innovation levers

10X innovation

In 1908, Melitta Benz invented the coffee filter. It is this innovation that has made inventiveness part of the company's DNA. To keep this spirit alive, 10X Innovation's mission is to open up new markets with radically thought-out innovations

Next Generation Ventures

Our mission is to empower and inspire startups by not only providing capital, but also actively contributing to the content. We are looking for companies that not only seek short-term profit, but also want to have a long-term impact on society and the environment.

Comorrow

Our ability to innovate has resulted in a proven toolkit of methods consisting of design thinking, business model innovation, market research and foresight. Since 2025, we have been bringing this knowledge and methods to medium-sized companies outside the Melitta Group in the form of workshops, training courses and keynotes with comorrow® by Melitta Group.

Research & Development: constant product innovation

Our divisions are responsible for fundamental research and development as well as process innovations independently. This results in new roasting profiles for coffee, technical developments in coffee machines and practical improvements to existing ranges in household products. We often develop and test new ideas together with customers.

Projects, Stories, Highlights

Stories about innovation

We are convinced that companies have the task of making people's lives better – and enabling a future worth living. Find out more about how the Melitta Group is tackling this task.