Award for young talents: Bavaria honours innovative research achievements

As a proud partner of the VDE Bavaria Night 2024, we are happy to be part of an important network that connects science, business and politics.

The VDE Bavaria is a regional branch of the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE), one of the largest technical and scientific associations in Europe.

VDE Bavaria is dedicated to advancing the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, information technology, and related technologies. It offers professional events, networking opportunities, support for young talents, and promotes innovations and technical standards in the Bavaria region. Key focus areas include energy supply, digitalization, automation, and future technologies.

Now in its fifth edition, the event once again impressively demonstrated how innovation can be driven forward through cooperation and how current challenges such as the energy transition and digitalisation can be overcome. For Zuken as a global software company, constant innovation is at the core of its corporate philosophy.

‘As part of our engagement in the VDE, we want to help create a political and social environment in which there is a spirit of open-mindedness and enthusiasm for technology, that encourages the pursuit of invention and innovation for the benefit of future generations,’ comments Dr Benjamin Nixdorf, Managing Director Europe at Zuken.

A bridge between science and practice

The panel discussion with high-calibre guests such as the President of the Bavarian State Parliament, Ilse Aigner, LIV Chairman Hans Auracher and the President of the University of Bayreuth, Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible, emphasised the importance of linking science and the skilled trades. Under the motto “Trades and Science – Innovations for a Sustainable Future”, the participants discussed how the shortage of skilled workers can be tackled and how technologies can be put into practice more quickly.

Ilse Aigner emphasised: ‘The German economy needs transparent structures. This is the only way to create a reliable basis for decision-making for companies and consumers. The shifts in federal policy offer the opportunity for a new beginning and, above all, more stability for society and the economy.’

VDE Bavaria Awards: Focus on innovation and promoting young talent

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the VDE Bavaria Awards, which recognise innovative work and projects in science, industry and schools with a particular commitment to STEM subjects.
For example, a paper on the stability of a network of hydroelectric power stations and battery storage systems was honoured, as was a project to develop a fibre-optic sensor for precise temperature measurement in fuel cells.

Dr Nixdorf recognises the importance of promoting young talent, which is why Zuken is committed to this cause: “Future innovation and transformation processes need our brightest minds, and we are grateful to be able to contribute to this as a partner of the VDE Bavaria Awards. Their ideas, curiosity and passion are the most important foundations for innovation and a sustainable society. As a long-standing partner of the VDE, we are very impressed by the award winners, who show how research and practice develop groundbreaking solutions that can be put into practice immediately.”

Shaping the future together

The VDE Bavaria Evening 2024 has once again shown the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation. For us as a software company, it is inspiring to be part of the VDE and to actively help shape the digital and sustainable future. The exchange of ideas, the joint development of solutions and the promotion of young talent – all this makes the VDE Bavaria Evening an indispensable format.