German High Tech Champions Award

Two Fraunhofer employees receive German High Tech Champions Awards in Green Buildings

German High Tech Champion 2012 Kevin Füchsel (left) and Dr. Reinhold Pabst (right).
© Cédric DARBORD
German High Tech Champion 2012 Kevin Füchsel (left) and Dr. Reinhold Pabst (right).
Dr.-Ing. Sabine Webel (Fraunhofer IGD, Darmstadt)
© Cédric DARBORD
German High Tech Champion Dr.-Ing. Sabine Webel (Fraunhofer IGD, Darmstadt)

On November 28, the German High Tech Champions (GHTC) Award in Green Buildings – Bâtiment Durable went to five outstanding German technology developers from German Universities and Research Institutions. The festive Award Ceremony honoring the winners and offering a business networking platform was held on the evening of November 28 at Le Clos des Varennes, France, in front of industry clients, journalists, and distinguished guests.

Among the five winners in Green Buildings are two Fraunhofer employees: Kevin Füchsel from Fraunhofer IOF, presenting his innovation efficient design – Unique Solar Solutions for Unique Projects together with his colleague Dr. Reinhold Pabst, and Dr. Sabine Webel from Fraunhofer IGD, showcasing her Life BC – Lifecycle Building Card together with Dr. Ulrich Bockholt and their French partners from CSTB.

Aside from the festivities, all awardees presented their technological findings at POLLUTEC 2012, the leading French show for eco-industries, environmental technologies and services. Since »The Sustainable City – Ville Durable« was the special theme of this year's fair in Lyon, the Champions held a conference in the corresponding forum, showcased their innovations at the GHTC stand, as well as gave a  POLLUTEC TV interview with ARTE moderator Alice Tumler. Pictures from all events, the POLLUTEC TV Stage recording, as well as the winners and their innovations are available online at www.research-in-germany.de/ghtc.

The competition had called for tailor-made technology application scenarios in the category of Green Buildings – energy supply, energy storage, and energy efficiency. For the first time in the history of the GHTC Award, applications by bi-national, French-German researcher "Tandems Technologiques" were accepted, and four of the five awardees in Green Buildings are part of such a tandem. For tandems, the prize money was 15.000 euros each, whereas single applicants received 10.000 euros.

Since the beginning of 2011, Fraunhofer has turned the spotlight on outstanding application-oriented German technology developers coming out first in a series of nationwide GHTC competitions. All proposals for Green Buildings – Bâtiment Durable were peer-reviewed and judged on originality, technical, financial, and commercial viability, as well as potential market impact by an independent, bi-national expert panel.

»The impressive applications for this year’s German High Tech Champions Award proved once again that Germany is home to innovation, creativity and persistence,« says Thomas Grigoleit, Director of Renewable Energies & Resources at Germany Trade and Invest GmbH. »The inspiring new ideas and technologies introduced at this competition showed that, in the crucial fields of energy efficiency and green building, functionality and cost efficiency can go hand in hand with design and aesthetics.«

The GHTC Award is issued by Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest application-oriented research organization, and is a constituent part of the collaborative project »International Research Marketing« which is a joint initiative by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. All activities within the project are part of the »Promote Innovation and Research in Germany« initiative under its brand »Research in Germany«. The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

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