MAIA wins Innovation Award Autonomous inspection assistant impresses international expert jury

From nominee to winner: MAIA has won the Automechanika Innovation Award 2026 in the “Smart Workshop & Service Solutions” category. No other category attracted more entries in this year’s innovation competition.

Frankfurt am Main, 8th September 2026. Two years after its first nomination for the Automechanika Innovation Awards, MAIA returns to Frankfurt as a winner. The autonomous inspection robot independently performs defined inspection tasks and demonstrates how recurring inspection processes can be automated, carried out reproducibly and documented digitally.

The success comes in a record year for the industry award. A total of 185 entries were submitted, with 47 innovations making it to the final round. Almost 30 per cent of all entries were submitted in MAIA’s category – more than in any other category.

“This award is a very special moment for us,” says Dr Peter Geigle, CEO of the MAHA Group. “MAIA shows what can be achieved when technical expertise, the courage to pursue new ideas and a clear focus on real-world applications come together.”

From concept to award-winning innovation
MAIA was already among the nominees for the Automechanika Innovation Awards in 2024. Since then, MAHA has systematically advanced the functional prototype and tested it in pilot applications. In 2025, MAIA received its first international recognition, winning the EQUIP AUTO Innovation Award in Paris.

MAIA automates vehicle inspection processes by combining robotics, sensor technology and artificial intelligence. The autonomous assistant moves independently around the vehicle and performs defined inspection tasks – from body scans with AI-based damage assessment to tyre scans. At Auto-mechanika 2026, the autonomous assistant will be demonstrated in operation on both passenger cars and trucks for the first time.

Experience the winner live
Together with MAST 2.0, MAIA is at the forefront of MAHA’s trade fair presence under the theme »FUTURE STARTS NOW«. Across a total area of 1,300 square metres, the workshop equipment manu-facturer is presenting 14 innovations as well as new solutions for workshops, vehicle inspection and service.

MAHA will be exhibiting at Automechanika Frankfurt from 8 to 12 September 2026 in Hall 8.0 at stands C06 and C07.