HOF – technology Leading technology Technology is only ever as good as its capability to solve a problem. At HOF, the product is therefore not determined by the technology, but it is rather the product properties that determine the technology. This is the only way to achieve set targets with the help of technology. To be successful in this, three preconditions always have to be met ... Technology is never an end in itself Creativity, knowledge and lots of experience Firstly, there has to be a necessity to de- velop new technological solutions for ex- isting or new requirements – technology is never an end in itself. Secondly, this proc- ess requires new approaches, new mate- rials or new components. And thirdly, it re- quires people who work with motivation and know-how to translate new technical possibilities into practice. HOF has accepted this role for more than 30 years, as a specialist market leader, as a technological leader. But how has HOF managed to maintain this pioneering role for such a long time? This question re- quires a differentiated answer. For one, it is certainly due to the spirit that charac- terises the company and is provided by Hans-Georg Hof to a great extent, sup- ported by his son Dr. Alexander Hof, who has been working in the company for sev- eral years. On the other hand, it is down to the many highly qualified HOF employ- ees and their technological knowledge. Listening, independent thinking and team-oriented working – these abilities are the foundation for a successful coop- eration. They are the key to technological success, considering the large portfolio of inno- vative technologies and machines devel- oped in-house by HOF. This includes the latest technological highlight – the HOF debottling system with water bath and cutting station, the innovative, high-tech HOF smartVTS loading and unloading sys- tem for freeze drying plants, the use of liq- uid nitrogen and natural refrigerants, the control integration of pioneering measur- ing systems such NIR and mass spectrom- etry, HOF SynchroFreeze and vacuum iso- lation. Over the decades, this has allowed HOF to accumulate a large pool of knowledge and experience which is also fed contin- uously by the intensive work with new findings from research and development. It is the sum total of all these factors that make HOF a technological leader. These factors have also ensured that HOF as a technology-driven company has been a- warded the TOP 100 Seal for the most innovative companies in Germany four times since 2016. This edition of HOFinsight once again highlights how creative and solution-ori- ented HOF still is, despite the long com- pany history. The HOF debottling system or the use of natural refrigerants are two examples which show that it is not technology that determines the products at HOF, but that it is rather the challenges of today and to- morrow that drive the technological in- novations. 3