On Saturday, 19 March 2022, the state capital Dresden and the network "Dresden - City of Science" honored one female scientist and three male scientists for their excellent research and final theses with the DRESDEN EXCELLENCE AWARD. They dealt with questions of energy supply, the stability of 5G networks, organic semiconductor materials and research on superconductors. Mayor Dirk Hilbert was chairman of the jury. At the award ceremony, he emphasized the special importance of science: "In these days when there is war in the middle of Europe, other topics quickly fade into the background, seem less important. But especially now, we must not forget the importance of science. After all, science points the way to solutions, enables innovation, and brings our society forward and together."

Prize money totaling 30,000 euros will be awarded in the categories of bachelor's thesis, master's or diploma thesis, dissertation and habilitation. Central criteria in the jury's decisions for the four prize winners are relevance to research and future orientation for the development of Dresden's urban society. Dr. Robert Franke, Head of the Office for Economic Development: "Current social issues are reflected in the works: climate protection, sustainability, energy supply as well as digitalization and the consequences of the pandemic. All the award-winning work has practical application references and high value for our lives - today and in the future."

A total of 42 applications came from the scientific fields of the local universities - from architecture to computer science and medicine to physics. Three out of four awards went to scientists from TU Dresden. The Office for Economic Development has been supporting the award together with the partners since 2017. The application for the sixth edition of the DRESDEN EXCELLENCE AWARD 2022 is already underway. As every year, the application deadline is World Science Day, November 10, 2022.

Further information on the award winners, their scientific work, and the DRESDEN EXCELLENCE AWARD can be found at: www.dresden.de/excellenceaward

The award winners 2021

BACHELOR - 3,000 euros

Lucas Grambole

Economics at the Dresden University of Applied Sciences
"Long-term debt financing instruments for SachsenEnergie AG".

SachsenEnergie, as a municipal energy company, has a crucial role to play in the wake of current societal challenges such as digitalization and the move towards a climate-neutral society. As a full-service provider in the area of public services, the company is actively promoting the spread of renewable energy systems and is continuously developing its networks in Dresden and eastern Saxony for the supply of electricity, gas, district heating, water and broadband access. In this way, SachsenEnergie is contributing to the decarbonization of the emissions-heavy energy sector and shaping a sustainable infrastructure for the local people and economy. To this end, the company intends to invest three billion euros in the period from 2022 to 2031, which represents a major challenge for the group of the state capital Dresden in view of the associated capital requirements. This thesis discusses which instruments exist for long-term debt financing of SachsenEnergie and which advantages and disadvantages they have for the company.

MASTER/DIPLOMA - 6.000 Euro

Andrey Ruzhanskiy

Computer Science at Technische Universität Dresden

"Investigations into the enforceability of the availability protection goal in 5G networks, taking into account non-trusted manufacturers of 5G components."

Due to the Corona pandemic, the presence of the Internet in everyday life and in the work environment increased enormously. This leap in digitalization led to an overload of existing networks due to the increased use of streaming services or the widespread implementation of the home office. In this way, especially in the early days of the pandemic, there were repeated disconnections or throttling, to the detriment of business, science and general social life. This work highlights the disruptions and shortcomings of existing networks and the need for new technologies and capabilities. The fifth generation cellular standard (5G) is the most promising technology considered in detail here. In particular, it examines the potential threat posed by the involvement of untrusted mobile equipment suppliers for 5G components.

Dissertation - 9.000 Euro

Dr. Shreenanda Ghosh

Physics at Technische Universität Dresden:

"Manipulation of time reversal symmetry breaking super-conductivity in Sr2RuO4 by uniaxial pressure"

© Shreenanda Ghosh

Since its discovery in 1911, superconductivity has been one of the most important and exciting chapters in physics. A superconducting state is characterized by vanishing electrical resistance when cooled to extremely low temperatures. Within the framework of 'DRESDEN-concept', around 400 scientists are conducting sustained research on superconductivity. Dresden is thus one of the leading locations worldwide. The work is particularly characterized by the joint research activities of international scientists and motivated several studies.

Habilitation - 12,000 euros

Dr. habil Hans Kleemann

Physics at Technische Universität Dresden

"Novel Concepts for Organic Transistors: Physics, Device Design and Applications."

© Kai Schmidt/IAP

The rapid technological development of microelectronics has fundamentally changed the way we communicate, work and live in recent years. Microelectronic components are now included in many things in everyday life. This development will continue in the coming years. The microelectronics industry has become a driver of the global economy, with its dynamism and innovative power radiating into almost all other sectors of the economy. However, silicon-based microelectronics also face enormous challenges: Because of its use of highly pure raw materials, toxic processes and enormous energy consumption, it is a real prime example of a lack of sustainability. The semiconductor industry must make substantial changes over the next decade toward sustainable raw material use and emissions reduction. One way to this transformation is the use of organic semiconductor materials. This work aims to further expand the triad of innovative research, excellent teaching and commitment to the economic exploitation of research results, to acquire research funding for this purpose and to promote networking within Dresden as a location for science, innovation and business.

DRESDEN EXCELLENCE AWARD 2021