Presentation of the Lausitz Science Transfer Award

“Science and business—that is the strong connection that strengthens our region and sets it on a course for the future.” With this opening statement by the president of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG), Prof. Friedrich Albrecht, the fifth annual Lausitz Science Transfer Prize (LWTP)—organized and conducted by the Lausitz Economic Initiative (WiL).

The selection jury, which also included the HSZG’s Vice Rector for Research, Prof. Tobias Zschunke, once again faced a difficult task this year in selecting three award winners from a total of seven submitted proposals. Prof. Kornhuber (HSZG), Mario Dreßler (HSZG), and Stephan Arndt and Gerald Jacob from Behr Bircher Cellpack Radeberg GmbH have every reason to be proud, as the expert jury deemed their transfer project “Geometrically Controlled Medium-Voltage Sleeve—Cable Connection System for Medium-Voltage Technology” to be of very high quality and awarded it third prize.

The Vice Rector for Research at HSZG, Prof. Dr. Tobias Zschunke, provided information about the long-standing collaboration in this field in his laudatory address: “Much of this—and this is part of the symbiosis—is only possible thanks to the demand and support from BBC Radeberg GmbH. Here, something is working that has been systematically built up over the course of the aforementioned 25 years by Prof. Kornhuber’s predecessors, Prof. Pilling and Prof. Bärsch.”

The eligibility criteria for this competition speak for themselves: Only those who can demonstrate a functioning partnership between universities and research institutions on the one hand and the business community on the other—a partnership reflected in a concrete project proposal—will be accepted as candidates.

The organizers, as well as all the guests, confirmed that it was a truly successful event that also provided the space and time to engage in conversation with the various stakeholders—from academia, business, and public administration. The HSZG presented itself as a modern center for education and research, and the staff’s knowledge-transfer activities were pursued intensively that evening.

The first two prizes went to BTU Cottbus and its industry partners, Duräumat-Agrotec Agrartechnik GmbH (project “Rope Wear—Measuring Device for Assessing the Condition of Ropes in Agricultural Animal Production,” 2nd place) and Purtec Engineering GmbH (project “KITRAS – Kinesthetic Transfer Assistance System in Inpatient Care,” 1st place).

The new application round for the 2017 award will begin in the fall. And the organizers and jury members very much hope that projects from the HSZG will once again be submitted.

For more information, visit:

http://www.niederlausitz-aktuell.de/niederlausitz/item/60717-drei-innovative-kooperationsprojekte-erhalten-lausitzer-wissenschaftstransferpreis.html

http://www.wil-ev.de/index.php/lwtp.html