The IHK prize is awarded to graduates whose work is not only of a high scientific standard, but also has a strong connection to the Lower Bavarian economic region and the topics addressed by its companies. ‘With the IHK Prize, we want to emphasise how important cooperation between business and science is in the search for new, innovative solutions,’ said IHK President Thomas Leebmann at the award ceremony.
Niklas Niedermaier and Dr Lena Riesenegger from the TUM Campus Straubing received the award, which is endowed with 1,000 euros each. Niedermaier worked closely with Gangkofner OHG and the engineering firm Pfeffer from Regen on his excellent master's thesis on heat planning for the existing Theresienthal district in Zwiesel. His work was supervised by Prof. Josef Kainz. Lena Riesenegger received the award for her doctoral thesis, supervised by Prof. Alexander Hübner, on the prevention of food waste in the retail sector, which also included analyses from businesses in Lower Bavaria.
At the award ceremony, Leebmann emphasised the importance of practice-oriented research and science. He referred to the profound problems and challenges facing the Lower Bavarian economy today. To overcome these, the right people are needed, stressed the IHK president. In the best case scenario, vocational and academic education go hand in hand: ‘When the strengths and different approaches of skilled workers from these two educational paths are combined, when theory and practice come together successfully, then something new emerges, then innovation, progress and growth emerge,’ said Leebmann. The award winners fulfilled this requirement in a special way. "The IHK award is therefore also an important signal of how much performance and innovative spirit there is in our region. We need both of these more than ever today," concluded Leebmann.
