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2012-03-01 | 000-003-361 DE-EN
SCHAEFFLER AG, SCHWEINFURT

Innovation Award as part of corporate identity

The Schaeffler FAG Foundation presented the Innovation Award 2011 for excellent doctoral theses, diploma theses and bachelor dissertations and outstanding school projects on February 28, 2012. Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler and her son Georg F. W. Schaeffler, partners of the Schaeffler Group, and Dr. Juergen M. Geissinger, CEO of Schaeffler AG, presented the awards to the winners during a special ceremony in Schweinfurt. The honorary guest and speaker was Professor Harald Meerkamm, founder and long-standing head of the Chair for Engineering Design at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and former prorector of the university, who is also a member of the Foundation Council of the Schaeffler FAG Foundation.

This year, six young scientists and students were honored, who have made an important contribution to the further development of rolling bearing technology with their scientific work in the fields of manufacturing technology, product innovation and marketing strategy. In addition, an award was presented to three school projects, which promote understanding and enthusiasm for natural sciences and technology among school pupils. Five further educational prizes for recognition will be awarded at a later date. A total of 25,650 euros in prizes was awarded.

Since being founded in 1983, the Schaeffler FAG Foundation has been supporting science, research and teaching in natural sciences and technology as well as promoting academic achievement. “More than 1,000 contacts to renowned universities and institutes worldwide ensure close networking between the foundation and science. This year’s record participation with more than 30 high-quality entries demonstrates once again that the Innovation Award is one of the most prominent awards for technology given by foundations in Germany”, said Klaus Widmaier, Chairman of the Foundation Board and Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Schaeffler's Industrial division.

In her speech, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler described the Schaeffler FAG Foundation and Innovation Award as part of Schaeffler’s corporate identity and an indication of the social responsibility assumed by the company. The close collaboration between the company and universities and institutes is a prerequisite for Germany’s outstanding performance in the fields of technology and natural sciences and is an important competitive advantage. Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler also emphasized the importance of cooperation with schools for enthusing young people with an interest for technology and natural sciences. By awarding the school prizes, the Schaeffler FAG Foundation promotes the initiative of schools and supports relevant projects in a targeted manner.

As the guest speaker, Foundation council member, Professor Harald Meerkamm, founder and long-standing head of the Chair for Engineering Design at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, gave a lecture about “progress with and progress on rolling bearings”. With examples from current industrial practice and science, he illustrated how new applications have always necessitated further development of rolling bearings and how at the same time advances in rolling bearing technology have always enabled new applications. Both the University’s research and teaching and the company have gained from the many years of collaboration between the Chair for Engineering Design and Schaeffler.

Dr. Juergen M. Geissinger thanked the winners for strengthening Germany’s innovative hub. In his closing speech, Dr. Geissinger emphasized Schaeffler’s great innovative force and exceptionally innovation-friendly corporate culture. Schaeffler once again had a record number of patents in 2011 he said. On the basis of the megatrends electric mobility, energy efficiency and renewable energies, Dr. Geissinger showed how Schaeffler is prepared for the challenges of the future and is already offering a wide range of solutions. Global technologies, market und customer proximity would be the decisive requirements.

The prize winners

In the category for the promotion of science, the first prize in the section advanced manufacturing went to Dr.-Ing. Holger Surm for his dissertation “Identification of factors influencing distortion during austenitizing using rings made of rolling bearing steel 100Cr6 as an example”, which he wrote at the University of Bremen’s Foundation Institute of Materials Science (Prof. Zoch/Prof. Hoffmann). Dr.-Ing. Roland Meyer from the Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Machine Tools at the Leibniz University Hanover (Prof. Denkena) received a prize for recognition.

The first prize in the section product innovation went to Dr.-Ing. Daniel Becker for his dissertation “Large-size bearing supports subjected to high loads in wind turbines”, which he wrote at the Institute of Tribology and Energy Conversion Machinery, Clausthal University of Technology (Prof. Dr. Schwarze). In addition, prizes for recognition were awarded to Dipl.-Ing. Katrin Seiler (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Prof. Dr. Wartzack) and Ladislaus Dobrenizki (Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg, Prof. Dr. Grau).

The first prize in the section market strategy was awarded to the dissertation from Dr. Jens Schmitt about “Strategic brand management in business-to-business markets”. Dr. Schmitt wrote his dissertation at the Chair of Business Administration and Marketing at the University of Mannheim (Prof. Dr. Homburg).

Three projects were also awarded prizes as part of promoting education. A first prize went to Bad Königshofen High School for the project “Autostunt”. Two second prizes were received by the Hugo-von Trimberg Junior High School in Niederwerrn and the Alexander-von-Humboldt High School in Schweinfurt. Five further prizes for recognition went to high schools in Haßfurt, Herzogenaurach, Münnerstadt and Schweinfurt.

Applications for 2012

The Innovation Award from the Schaeffler FAG Foundation will also be offered this year. Applications can be obtained from the Schaeffler FAG Foundation, Postfach 1260, 97419 Schweinfurt, Germany or on the Internet (www.fag.de). The closing date for submitting applications is July 31, 2012.