On Wednesday, the employers' association Südwestmetall honoured nine talented young academics from Baden-Württemberg's state universities for their excellent scientific work. The honoured doctoral theses, make a significant contribution to the industrial world of work and its socio-political framework. The prizes, which are endowed with 5,000 euros each, have been awarded for more than 35 years. "With their outstanding dissertations, the prizewinners make the research achievements at Baden-Württemberg's state universities tangible for us in a direct and very diverse way," said Südwestmetall Chairman Dr Joachim Schulz at the event.

Dr Anna Veronika Aubele received the Südwestmetall Prize for her outstanding doctoral thesis, PhD thesis "Donor-Acceptor Dyads and Triads for Single-Material Organic Solar Cells" at Ulm University. Aubele's work presents the synthesis of 15 novel compounds and their detailed analysis with regard to their physical and photovoltaic properties. Outstanding results include record efficiencies of over 5% for one diode and the development of a long-term stable photoactive material, which emphasises the importance of research for organic photovoltaics.

"In the course of the increased use of renewable energies, the research results are an important contribution to the use of organic photovoltaics. Climate change and the current high energy prices make it necessary to drive innovation through research in this field," said Oliver Wirth, chairman of the Ulm district group of Südwestmetall at the award ceremony in Stuttgart on Wednesday.

Dr Aubele now works as a senior chemist in a deep tech start-up.

About Südwestmetall:
SÜDWESTMETALL is the association of the metal and electrical industry in Baden-Württemberg. It is a competent contact person for employers in matters of labour and social law, collective agreements and social policy. SÜDWESTMETALL is the mouthpiece for its member companies vis-à-vis trade unions, the state and the public. Together with the social partner, SÜDWESTMETALL agrees the conditions of employment relationships in collective agreements. The Ulm district group of SÜDWESTMETALL and the non-unionised Südwestmetall association of companies looks after 144 companies with 59,151 employees in the Ulm, Biberach, Alb-Donau and south-eastern Sigmaringen region.

Text: Südwestmetall