The prize was awarded by Prof Dr med Dietrich Grönemeyer in Oberhausen on 16 July. The award ceremony and presentation of winners were part of a symposium on “open innovation“. Main award criteria had been the environmental relevance and especially market orientation of scientific results.

Benjamin Simstich had applied with his doctoral thesis on the “Use of submerged MBR technology for thermophilic aerobic circulation water treatment in paper production“, which he had completed in 2012. The evaluators were particularly impressed by the clear practice-orientation of his work, and that his scientific findings will be used as basis to improve the technology.

In Simstich’s award-winning work, a new process variation of wastewater treatment technology was tested for the first time. The technology will offer paper mills a new way of process-integrated circulation water treatment. The combined use of aerobic-biological treatment and ultrafiltration leads to solids-free filtrates with greatly reduced COD and BOD5 levels and lower calcium concentrations which can be used as substitute for fresh water. The higher operating temperature of the innovative water circuit design enables users to save water and energy.

In the next few months the method will be developed further together with a plant manufacturer, including also the fundamental findings from two IGF research projects. This moves the final aim of every ambitious research engineer almost within grasping distance: the full-scale implementation of a concept that had originally been no more than a scientific idea. However, there is still a long way to go, and quite a few obstacles have yet to be overcome. The award, however, has been confirmation and encouragement that we are on the right track.