Lower Austria celebrates science: Tecnet Innovation Award 2025 awarded!

Lower Austria celebrates science: Tecnet Innovation Award 2025 awarded!

On April 25, 2025, the “Tecnet Accent Innovation Award” was awarded at the University of KREMS in the Milleniumsaal of the Country House of the “Tecnet Accent Innovation Award”. Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner emphasized the central role of science and research for the development of Lower Austria. She emphasized that the state has developed into a science location with significant investments in research institutions, including Medaustron, the ISTA in Klosterneuburg and the future science campus in Hainburg.

Mikl-Leitner also spoke about the ongoing health care reform that aims to improve health care in the region. The campus in Krems was viewed as a "model example" for such investments. Viktoria Weber, Vice Rector for Research and Sustainable Development, underlined the need to put scientific knowledge into practice in order to create social added value.

award winner of the Innovation Awards

Excellent research projects were awarded as part of the event. The first prize went to Kenneth Chen from the University of Krems, who developed a AI-based process for automated detection of leg axis deviations on knee X-ray images. Two second prizes were awarded to Juan A. Allegretto from the DANUGE private university for a platform for recording odor substances and Adrian Lendvai from IMC Krems for a peptide to promote bone growth. Doris Agneter, Managing Director of Tecnet Equity, announced that a total of around 100 scientists have participated since the foundation of the Awards in 2009.

In addition to the awarding of the Innovation Awards, other significant awards were also awarded. At the science gala 2023 in the country's auditorium, prices for outstanding research were awarded. These prices have been awarded in various categories to promote young researchers and scientists since 1964. Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and her deputy Stephan Pernkopf emphasized the importance of science and research for the future of Lower Austria.

appreciation of young researchers

At this gala, special prices were also awarded to various research personalities. The award winners of the recognition prices were Stefan Freunberger for battery research, Leonid Sazanov for enzyme research for medication, Maksym Serbyn in theoretical research of engineering and Eva Oburger on rhizospheric processes. A appreciation award for the entire work went to Thomas Bugnyar for his behavioral research at Vögeln and Christine Glaßner for their research on medieval manuscripts.

The Science Future Prices were awarded in several categories, including for bachelor, master, diploma theses and dissertations. Prize winners in these categories included Jisha Puthenpurayil, Maria Peer, Agnes Kim, Catherine Rosenfeld and Karin Tengler.

Overall, it can be seen that the state of Lower Austria takes significant steps to promote the research landscape and to win internationally recognized scientists and talents. As Mikl-Leitner and Pernkopf emphasized, the creation of trust between politics and science remains a central challenge for the future.