Post by ITW

ITW’s commitment to Customer-Back Innovation (CBI) has helped shape our entrepreneurial culture and build a portfolio of over 21,000 granted and pending patents worldwide. At the 2026 ITW Patent Society Dinner in Paris, France, earlier this month, we celebrated colleagues whose creativity and expertise led to patented solutions that create value for our customers and businesses. During the evening, Harald Disch was inducted into the ITW Patent Society Hall of Fame in recognition of a 30-plus-year career helping Hobart redefine commercial warewashing through breakthrough advancements in water and energy efficiency, AI-enabled technologies, and customer-focused product development. With more than 108 patents to his name, Harald’s contributions continue to shape the future of innovation across ITW. We also proudly recognized 115 new Patent Society inductees and 10 Distinguished Fellow award recipients whose inventive efforts exemplify the transformative impact of CBI. #ProudToBeITW