The eight-member jury with representatives from research and industry reviews the nominees of the NEULAND Innovation Competition and thus decides on the winners of the ideas competition and the special prize.
The basis for the evaluation of the innovation potential are factors such as the degree of innovation, the feasibility as well as the commercialization potential.
Dr. Nikolai Gauss, LL.M., Christian Bürkert Foundation
Nikolai Gauss is a patent attorney and studied physics at the Universities of Heidelberg and Bayreuth. He was a doctoral student at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (Grenoble High Field Magnetic Laboratory) and received his doctorate from the University of Constance in 1997 with a thesis on electrical quantum phenomena in metals at low temperatures and high magnetic fields.
Christopher-Robin Knight, Branch Manager at Baden-Württembergische Bank
Christopher-Robin Knight, MBA has been responsible for the corporate customer business at Baden-Württembergische Bank as Branch Manager Karlsruhe/Pforzheim since September 2024. He has been active in corporate customer business for over 20 years, with a particular focus on SMEs and the financing of innovation and transformation. Baden-Württembergische Bank has a close and trusting relationship with KIT, particularly in the area of knowledge transfer to industry.
Heiko Koziolek studied computer science at the University of Oldenburg and received his PhD in 2008 on performance prediction for component-based software systems. Since then he has been working at the ABB Research Center in Ladenburg, Germany, leading projects in the area of software architectures for industrial control systems. His work has received three Most Influential Paper Awards in 2019-2021. He is a former member of the "Industrie 4.0" platform and a current member of the "Open Process Automation Forum". In addition to his research activities, he is an Area Editor at the Elsevier Journal of Systems and Software, a reviewer at the most prestigious software architecture conferences ICSA, ECSA, and ICSE, and a jury member for the "Ernst Denert Software Engineering Prize" of the Association for Computer Science.
Dr.-Ing. Hanns-Günther Mayer, Managing Director of KIT Campus Transfer GmbH
Hanns-Günther Mayer studied mechanical engineering at the University of Munich, where he earned his doctorate in thermodynamics. He worked in sales and in various management functions in international large-scale plant construction until he moved to the KIT in the field of technology transfer. Responsible for a wide range of transfer projects, he played a key role in the founding of KIT Campus Transfer GmbH in 2014, which he has headed as the operational managing director ever since.
Dr.-Ing. Helge Peters, Senior Manager, Product Development, Pilz GmbH & Co. KG
Helge Peters studied mechanical engineering at KIT (formerly the University of Karlsruhe) and also earned his doctorate there in the field of medical robotics. Pilz GmbH & Co. KG is one of the leading manufacturers of components and solutions for automation technology. Since 2006, Helge Peters has held various roles within product development at Pilz, with a particular focus on agile methods (Scrum), sustainability, and digitalization.
Dr. Max Riedel, Head of ZEISS Innovaiton Hub @ KIT
Max Riedel heads the ZEISS Innovation Hub @ KIT, where he and his team bring together entrepreneurs, scientists and ZEISS experts to translate today's research into tomorrow's applications. The content focus is particularly on medical robotics, integrated photonics and sensor technology for the circular economy. Previously, he was Key Account Manager for the partnership between Siemens AG and the Technical University of Munich. Max Riedel studied physics at the University of Würzburg and the University of Texas at Austin and earned his doctorate in experimental quantum optics at LMU Munich.
Rudolf Simon, Ph.D., Technology Manager Batteries, Advanced Technology Facilities, M+W Group
Rudolf Simon studied Mechanical Engineering and earned his doctorate at KIT. He has been with M+W since 1983 and served as Head of Innovation, Strategic Business Development and Managing Director at Jenoptik. He is one of the pioneers of Class 1 clean rooms for semiconductor fabs. Since 2008, he has been working on fab concepts for high volume production of lithium ion batteries. M+W Group is an international equipment manufacturer for high-tech fabs. Simon is always interested in the social benefits of innovations.
Thomas Wintrich, Ph.D., Senior Vice President Business Unit Fuel Cell Mobility Solutions, Robert Bosch GmbH
Dr. Thomas Wintrich graduated in mechanical engineering from RWTH Aachen University, where he earned his doctorate at the Institute for Energy and Mass Transport. Since 1999, he has held various positions at Robert Bosch GmbH in the area of "Diesel Fuel Injection Systems and Combustion". Since October 2020, Dr. Thomas Wintrich has been head of the "Fuel Cell Mobility Solutions" product area within the Powertrain Solutions division of Robert Bosch GmbH.