IHK prizes for two papers from the University of Kassel

The results of his doctoral thesis impress with both concrete practical relevance and significant improvements: Dr. Thorge Brünig from the University of Kassel has researched which substances and agents can help to save energy and use it more efficiently (supervisor: Prof. Dr. Rudolf Pietschnig). An achievement that the regional business community honored on Tuesday evening (Oct. 22) with the Science Award of the Kassel-Marburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). The award is endowed with 5,200 euros. "It is findings like these that provide important impetus for the entire region," emphasized jury member Markus Strotmann, member of the Management Board of B. Braun Melsungen AG, in his laudatory speech.

The demand for energy in building air conditioning and industrial drying processes is also increasing as a result of climate change, Brünig outlines the starting situation: "It is essential to find innovative concepts and produce new materials and substances to save energy." The nanoscientist is taking advantage of the thermal energy that already exists and analyzing how it can be stored more effectively so that it can be used in a targeted manner in the building.

Until now, highly concentrated salt solutions have been used in the so-called absorber, which extract water from the ambient air and thereby release heat. This procedure is not ideal: Among other things, the expensive raw material lithium is required, and eliminating the risk of corrosion also makes the systems considerably more expensive. To mitigate these drawbacks, the Science Award winner has developed several organic salt solutions that meet the stringent requirements for purity and chemical reactivity and bring significant improvements for efficient energy storage. "This once again demonstrates the outstanding importance of research work at the University of Kassel," Strotmann emphasized. Work is underway on concrete possible applications.  

The jury awarded the IHK sponsorship prize of 1,600 euros to business psychologist Sandra Kunkel for her master's thesis "On the Psychology of Collecting and Buying Contemporary Art" (supervisor Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Dahlhoff). For her thesis, she selected over 1000 art lovers from a publicly accessible database and supplemented them with additional private contacts via a questionnaire. What values and convictions underlie their behavior? How do they collect and buy? And what are the consequences for practice and science?

From the answers, the Baunatal researcher has developed typical character profiles - from the holistic collector to the autonomous and possession-oriented collector to the culturally engaged collector. One finding was that prestige and investment were far behind when it came to the reasons for collecting art. Much more important are emotional values and the quality and aesthetic status of a work. Demand is also influenced by factors such as social motives or the financial situation.

Kunkel goes on to shed light on how the players in the art market, including galleries and museums, can - and must - adapt to the different motives and character types of collectors. After all, as the master's thesis shows, trading and collecting art has become a thriving industry. "The award winner has approached a consumer group that can be said to be as solvent as it is discreet," describes laudator Julia Esterer, managing partner of Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Esterer GmbH & Co. Fahrzeugaufbauten und Anlagen KG in Helsa.
 

Impressive development of the region also because of university

The jury was impressed by the range of work submitted. Among other things, they dealt with the acceptance of new technologies, the optimization of materials and investigations into special material properties. "The research provides excellent evidence of the quality and practical relevance of the teaching," praised Esterer.  

At the beginning of the ceremony, university professor Dr.-Ing. Andreas Kroll gave a keynote speech on the opportunities and pitfalls of technical data in the course of digital transformation. IHK Vice President Dr. Friedrich von Waitz referred to innovation as the common driving force of science and business: "What we need today more than ever are new ideas, new methods, new perspectives." The impressive dynamic development of the region is also a credit to the University of Kassel, he said, along with its numerous connections to regional companies. Dr. von Waitz: "In recent years, the Kassel-Marburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the university have once again intensified this cooperation through a large number of working contacts, discussion rounds and events."            

The awarding of the IHK Science and Promotion Prize has been an important joint project since 1984, representing the close cooperation between business and science in North Hesse. This year, the jury had a total of 18 papers to review.

Press release of the IHK Kassel-Marburg