Our Current
Award Winners
Innovations with Impact
from Saxony-Anhalt
The Hugo Junkers Award honors outstanding achievements in research and innovation from Saxony-Anhalt that combine scientific strength with practical benefits. Every two years, it puts the spotlight on projects that make tangible contributions to health, business, climate protection and societal progress. In the 2026 competition, the wide range of submissions from science and business stood out for their high degree of innovation and their relevance to key questions about the future. The independent jury, chaired by Prof. Dr. Frieder Stolzenburg, particularly recognized the successful interplay between research and application. The award-winning projects exemplify the capabilities and future potential of Saxony-Anhalt as a center of innovation.
Most Innovative Projects in
Basic Research
For centuries, basic research in the natural sciences has laid the foundations for innovation and new technologies. In this category, the Hugo Junkers Award recognizes forward-looking projects that address current questions and can demonstrate an advance over existing knowledge.
Meet the Nominees (German) Meet the Winner (German) …the Jury's View
In 2026, the jury awarded first, second and third place as follows:
AI-Assisted Metabolite Fingerprinting to Predict the Mechanisms of Action of New Anticancer Agents
Dr. Robert Rennert
Dr. Mohamad Saoud
Dr. Gerd Balcke
Dr. Jan Grau
Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle (Saale)
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Blood Beta-Synuclein for the Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Stroke
Prof. Dr. med. Markus Otto
PD Dr. Patrick Oeckl
University Hospital Halle (Saale),
Department of Neurology
Development of a Moss Photobioreactor to Produce Planting Material for Rewetted Peatlands
Prof. Dr. Claudia Grewe
Maria Glaubitz
Paul Martin Ulmer
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
Most Innovative Projects in
Applied Research
Applied research brings practical applications and scientific methods to everyday problems. Participants in this Hugo Junkers Award category have developed their innovative solutions to the point where representative research results are available in the form of prototypes or clinical studies.
Meet the Nominees (German) Meet the Winner (German) …the Jury's View
Those who could also demonstrate potential benefits for Saxony-Anhalt's economy took first, second and third place:
Scanatiq – Wireless Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Coils
Robert Kowal
Ivan Vogt
STIMULATE Research Campus
Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
New Cancer Therapies Through Targeted Inhibition of RNA-Binding Proteins
Prof. Dr. Stefan Hüttelmaier
Dr. Nadine Bley
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Sippl
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg,
Institute of Molecular Medicine
Thermoplastic Sandwich Moulding Technology
Dr.-Ing. Ralf Schlimper
Dr.-Ing. Jochen Pflug
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Maik Feldmann
Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
ThermHex Waben GmbH
Most Innovative Products,
Services & Business Models
Unique customer benefits and market readiness are the criteria used by the jury to assess the products, services and business models entered in this category of the Hugo Junkers Award.
Meet the Nominees (German) Meet the Winner (German) …the Jury's View
The following award winners convincingly demonstrated the added value of their developments through industry analyses, customer surveys or representative studies and made the strongest impression on the jury in 2026:
Innovative 3D Printing Technology for Automated Sand Core Production in the Foundry Industry
Dipl.-Ing. Rudolf Wintgens
Laempe Mössner Sinto GmbH
Integral Chopped Carbon Fibers for Reinforcing Ultra-High-Performance Concrete
Christoph Osterroth
Julie Landgraf
newcycle GmbH
An X-ray Collimator System for Cancer Surgery
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Hoffmann
Benjamin Fritsch
RAYDIAX GmbH
Special Award: Most Innovative Initiatives and Projects for
Climate Change Adaptation
For years, climate change has placed particularly strong pressure on society, business and science to innovate.
Meet the Nominees (German) Meet the Winner (German) …the Jury's View
For this reason, the jury of the Hugo Junkers Award honored innovative initiatives and projects that make a significant contribution in this field in the 2026 special category:
CoSeCats – A Scalable, Load-Flexible Catalyst–Reactor System for the Chemical Storage of Renewable Energy
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Sundmacher
Dr.-Ing. Ronny Tobias Zimmermann
Luisa Peterson
Alexander Geschke
Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
Energy-Efficient, Low-CO₂ Contract Granulation and Drying from Saxony-Anhalt
Hon.-Prof. Dr. Ing. Mirko Peglow
Dr.-Ing. Sascha Thomas
IPT Pergande GmbH
Regional Production of Building Materials from Industrial Hemp
Dr.-Ing. Susanne Bartholomé
Ria Elstner
Hanffaser Geiseltal eG