The winners of the Förderpreis der Wirtschaft, which was awarded for the 17th time in September to young people for their outstanding academic achievements in STEM subjects at Paderborn University, were invited. At the Agricultural Engineering Day, participants had the opportunity to learn more about technology, agricultural engineering and agriculture. A factory tour provided information about the development process of a harvesting machine. Two CLAAS trainees presented their personal careers and training at CLAAS and gave valuable tips on career guidance. In a quiz about agricultural technology and farming, the three winners received vouchers for the Technoparc shop, which could be immediately redeemed . Rich in impressions and with no homework for the day, they returned home in the late afternoon.

According to the motto "Soil-Tire Interaction: Challenges and Practices", the participants attended lectures by Prof Dr Stefan Böttinger, Robert Obermeier-Hartmann (CLAAS Industrietechnik) and Francois Pinet at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and As. Prof Ugarte at the UniLaSalle in Beauvais. Besides the theoretical part of the lecture, there was also a practical part: the students also had the opportunity to carry out measurements with agricultural tyres on various subsoils and then evaluate them.

Highlights of the Summer School were the company visits to John Deere in Mannheim and Michelin in Troyes. After an intensive week, the participants returned home with many new impressions, insights, and contacts in their luggage.

The up-and-coming talents received their awards at a ceremony in the CLAAS Greenhouse. In addition, the final theses of the main prize winners were presented to the audience in short lectures. The awards were presented by Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees since 2021. She was pleased to be able to welcome new agricultural talents from the most diverse nations of Europe to Harsewinkel. "Today we meet students who have already discovered their great passion for technology and agriculture. Talents that are so important to meet the challenges we will face today and in the future." Founded in 1999, the Claas-Foundation annually awards the Helmut Claas Scholarships, Bonus Prizes and International Prizes.

Specifically, the following prizes were awarded:

Scholarships

1st prize: Tristan Mitzel, a student at the University of Kassel (Germany), created a guideline for the planning of agroforestry systems, paying particular attention to climate-friendly design. He received 7,200 euros for his work.

2nd prize: Christian Reichler from the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (Germany) developed reference materials for the determination of moisture in a forage harvester using near-infrared rays. For this, he received 6,000 euros.

3rd prize: Fabian Lorenz, who studies at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (Germany), received 4,800 euros for his experiment on single-grain sowing of wheat using different sowing methods and pilled seeds (seeds enclosed in a shell, resulting in a uniformly round shape).

4th prize: Tim Huurdeman received the 4th prize for his research into optimized auxiliary lighting in greenhouses to maximize financial returns. For this, the student of Wageningen University (Netherlands) received 3,600 euros.

Bonus Prizes

In addition to the scholarships, two bonus prizes worth 1,500 euros each were awarded. In the "Agricultural Engineering" category, Jonathan Voß, a student at the Technical University of Munich, presented the best work. He developed a climate sensor station for the analysis of climatic heterogeneities in an indoor farming system. Furthermore, Alicia Völker, a student at the University of Hohenheim, was awarded the bonus prize in the category "Extraordinary personality and future impulses". She dealt with the research question: Does chopping sugar beet cause yield-effective nitrogen mineralization effects?

International Student Awards

The International Student Awards, each worth 2,000 euros, were awarded to Cristian Marcovici from the University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I" from Timisoara (Romania), Pál Szabó Zoltán from the Budapest University of Technology and Economy (Hungary), Nynke de Wilde from Wageningen University (Netherlands), Nikolas Bakan from Poznań University of Life Sciences (Poland) and Jakub Trnka from the Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra (Slovakia).

About the Claas-Foundation

The Foundation works closely with a jury of international experts in agricultural science, as well as with renowned colleges and universities at home and abroad. The foundation's capital amounts to around 13 million euros. In addition to the Helmut Claas Scholarship, the Claas-Foundation also supports international research projects at universities and promotes initiatives at schools to get students excited about science and technology.

The Claas Stiftung has been active since 1999 and its aim is to encourage the younger generation to become involved in advanced farming and associated sciences as well as to strengthen the reputation and acceptance of agriculture and the future-oriented impact of advanced farming both nationally and internationally.

The scope of the Claas Stiftung is very broad. It operates in a variety of projects from primary and secondary schools to university students. To support university students, the foundation works with an international team of experts in the field of agricultural sciences and collaborates with renowned German and foreign universities.

Motivating students for further education in modern agricultural technology and techniques is supported by the International Student Prize. This is an award given to students from foreign partner universities for an excellently prepared and defended bachelor thesis. Three students from each university are awarded the prize each year on the basis of a proposal and after consideration by the Claas Stiftung. The winners receive their award in person at a ceremony held by the Foundation's management at the Claas headquarters in Harsewinkel (Germany). Student awards for second and third place are presented by the Dean of the Technical Faculty of SPU in Nitra at a meeting of the Scientific Council. Two years ago, when due to pandemic measures the awards were presented by videoconference, so far 11 students have received their awards in person, mostly from the hands of Helmut Claas (1926 - 2021). It is very gratifying that they are today successful managers, technologists but also teachers.

Sylvia Looks, Member of the CLAAS Foundation Executive Board, and Dr Hagen Adam, CLAAS KGaA mbH  visited the Technical Faculty of SPU Nitra on June 1, 2023. They listened with interest to the information about the direction of the faculty, about which they were informed by the management of the Faculty headed by prof. Ing. Roman Gálik, PhD. This was followed by a nice informal meeting with the awarded students, who met the guests again after many years. Discussions were mainly devoted to how their professional career is progressing and how the award has influenced it. Sylvia Looks handed over a certificate to Prof Vladimír Rataj for his long-term collaboration with the CLAAS Foundation.

We believe that such impulses will also arouse young people's interest in modern agricultural techniques and technologies and will inspire both current and future students in their choice of life direction, said Sylvia Looks.

A kit of various components was given to the participating schools in advance by the CLAAS Foundation and had to be assembled in class with precision and perseverance. Each school received class sets of 20 metal construction kit tractors. 

The HOT competition took place on the Celebration Day of the  10th anniversary at CLAAS Thüringen in Ebeleben. The pupils had to compete in three disciplines with their electrically powered tractors last Friday. Speed counted in the slalom course, dexterity was important in the obstacle course, and on the agricultural course the small tractors had to pass narrow obstacles and park in reverse in a barn.

"We want to make technology, science, mathematics and computer science fun for the pupils. The HOT competition is ideal for this, because in addition to the battle for the winner's podium, it is also about team spirit and cohesion," says Sylvia Looks from the CLAAS Foundation Board of Directors.

Site manager Stephan Schmidt was enthusiastic about the pupils, who were highly motivated and mastered their tasks. 

The highlight and conclusion of the competition was the award ceremony. The team from Seilergymnasium was at the top of the winners' podium and received 300 euros for the class treasury, 2nd place and 200 euros went to the team from Herbsleben Community School and the team from Johann Karl Wezel School came in 3rd place with 100 euros.

"It was a successful event all round," reports Dr Andreas Brunnert, Director SF Electrics/Electronics at CSE. "After a combine harvester had been explained in detail in the Technoparc, the next step was not only to show how combines are programmed, but also to give the 'SFZ-ers' the opportunity to come into contact with our programming environments themselves."

The young developers were already able to gain their first programming experience in SFZ projects. At CLAAS, they were then allowed to reprogram an operating terminal and learned the programming language C under the guidance of Nils Holstermann. At a second practical station, Christoph Bußmann and Sebastian Spiekermann gave insights into the programming of mechatronic systems. With the help of the developer tools, the pupils programmed and simulated a traffic light circuit. Methods and modules that had already been dealt with in the SFZ projects could be recognised in the programming of CLAAS combine harvesters. "This led to a certain AHA effect," says Sylvia Looks from the CLAAS Foundation board, "and that was exactly our goal." The basic tools and logic structures are the same whether programming a small LEGO robot or a combine harvester.

Dr Andreas Brunnert has been the contact person for CLAAS at the SFZ since 2022, providing information on agricultural and electrical engineering. As part of "SFZ on Tour", the students had the opportunity to look deep into the inner workings of a combine harvester.

A team from CSE (Christoph Bussmann, Sebastian Spiekermann, Nils Holstermann) conducted the workshop, which Georg Eggenhaus, Head of CEMOS Development, also helped to prepare.

About the SFZ Osnabrück
The Student Research Centre (SFZ) Osnabrück is an extracurricular research institution and offers various courses for pupils who enjoy researching, discovering and doing things themselves. With its range of courses, the SFZ particularly wants to promote the scientific and technical skills of the pupils. The SFZ works together with the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, the University of Osnabrück and various practical partners.

The CLAAS Foundation established the SFZ in 2008 together with the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and Amazonen Werke. Since then, the CLAAS Foundation has supported the SFZ activities and also establishes links with CLAAS Foundation initiatives and competitions, for example as part of the "Hands On Technik" competition, in which remote-controlled mini tractors compete against each other.

Lower Saxony's Minister of Economics Olaf Lies has now handed over a grant for almost 70,000 euros. Further subsidies come from the district and city of Osnabrück as well as from regional foundations. Councilor Anna Kebeschull and Lord Mayor Katharina Pötter as well as Sabine Stöhr from the MINT working group of the foundation network for the Osnabrück region attended the opening of the MINT Factory.

Recent studies show that the need for action is great. There is a growing shortage of specialists in the MINT professions (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) as well as a lack of education in schools. To meet these challenges, a promising initiative has been launched in the Osnabrück region. The focus is on the introduction of learning factories at general schools, also known as MINT:Factories. These consist of 3D printers and electronic components to produce teaching materials that can be used in the classroom. The MINT:Factory can be used in various teaching fields, but the focus is initially on the Computer Science department, which will be introduced as a compulsory subject at all schools in Lower Saxony from summer 2023.

"We must design the training of MINT specialists so that they can apply their knowledge in practice and that the framework conditions are improved in such a way that the specialists in Lower Saxony feel comfortable and stay with us," Minister Lies said during the opening. "With the support of the interschool project MINT-Factory in the Osnabrück region, we are setting our sights right on this point and are supporting the development and application of digital skills in everyday school life with the development of learning factories - and are also ensuring a closer connection with the economy. The project is a successful example of how twelve schools, city and country work together hand in hand." Councilor Anna Kebschull is also pleased about the establishment of the MINT Factory. Investments such as these are necessary to ensure that the Osnabrück region remains a strong economic location. The initiative offers further perspectives: "After a successful test phase, we would like to extend the project to further schools in the Osnabrück region. The more children and young people come into contact with modern technology at an early stage and work with it, the more we arouse enthusiasm for the STEM subjects." Katharina Pötter also shares this view: "For the future of Germany as a location for innovation, we must promote the STEM potentials of young people even better. Therefore, I am very pleased that we are implementing the STEM Factory project together and have created a great, practical offer for the students with mobile robots, among other things," said the Lord Mayor.

The driving forces behind the MINT:Factory are the two vocational school teachers Kai Krafft and Hanno Rhauderwiek from BBS Brinkstraße. "My two colleagues have shown a tremendous commitment here, which impressed me very much," says Martin Henke, head of the BBS Brinkstraße school, adding: "The project also supports an important goal. It will bring about closer networking between general schools, our vocational schools and businesses in the region. In this way, synergies for MINT education will be created, which will have a very positive and lasting impact on the educational landscape. It is also gratifying that the project will be made possible by the Ministry of Economy, the City and the Osnabrück County as well as by foundations." The funding by the Ministry of Economy together with financial resources from the City and the Osnabrück County will make it possible to equip twelve schools with STEM:Factories in a first test phase starting in winter 2022 (Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Gymnasium, Gymnasium Melle, Gymnasium Oesede, Bertha-von-Suttner-Oberschule Osnabrück, Oberschule am Sonnenhügel, Oberschule am Sonnensee, Oberschule Bohme, Oberschule Ludwig-Windthorst-Schule, Realschule Bad Iburg, Realschule Georgsmarienhütte, Thomas-Morus-Schule and Gesamtschule Schinkel). In addition, the project is supported by many regional foundations and business enterprises. "It is important for the foundations in the region that young people can discover what digitalization means in a very practical way when introducing the subject of computer science. The project makes current technologies tangible and is therefore also a valuable building block for professional orientation," emphasizes Sabine Stöhr from the MINT working group of the foundation network for the Osnabrück region.

Another partner is the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Together with her and business partners, for example, a robot is being developed that can be produced in schools using 3D printers and makes computer science lessons more interactive for children and young people. This example can be used to illustrate practical everyday situations as well as topics such as autonomous driving and the application of artificial intelligence in the classroom. In this way, students gain practical experience and deepen their knowledge and skills in the fields of technology and programming at school - and even more extensively through cooperation with participating companies.

The CLAAS Foundation can help you – up to a maximum amount of 1500 Euro per team. Apply for a seed funding to get your first robot going and email us your application consisting of the following content by 21st April 2023:

• Short covering letter
• Description of planned robot
• Information on the team (name, age, course etc.)
• List and cost of equipment you wish to use and how much funding you require from the CLAAS Foundation.

The team selection will completed by the beginning of May 2023.

Looking forward to your application.

CLAAS Foundation FAO: Sylvia Looks Muehlenwinkel 1 33428 Harsewinkel Email: stiftung@claas.com

The Field Robot Event 2023 takes place from 12. – 15. June 2023 in Hoče, Slovenia, organised by the University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Please read more on http://www.fieldrobot.nl/event/

The CLAAS Foundation invited the winners of the Förderpreis der Wirtschaft to learn more about technology, agricultural engineering and agriculture at the Day of Agricultural Engineering in Harsewinkel. The Förderpeis der Wirtschaft was awarded for the 16th time in September to young people for their outstanding school achievements in STEM subjects at the University of Paderborn. They and their teachers had the opportunity to experience agricultural engineering live and in colour as part of a company tour. Furthermore, CLAAS young skilled workers presented their personal careers and training at CLAAS and gave valuable tips on career orientation. The Day of Agricultural Engineering was rounded off with a quiz about agricultural engineering and agriculture. The winners of the quiz won vouchers for the Technoparc shop. This day was a nice and informative break from the school routine for everyone.

The CLAAS Foundation was founded in 1999 and has since awarded the Helmut Claas scholarships, bonus prizes and international prizes on an annual basis. This year’s awards included one new category: The AgTex Doctoral Thesis Prize goes to a doctoral student in the second year of their thesis who is conducting research into agricultural machinery and mechanisation, tractors and engines or automation and electronics.

The individual prizes were awarded as follows:

Scholarships

1st prize: Patricia Ulbricht was awarded the leading prize for her Bachelor’s thesis on regenerative agriculture, which she wrote at the University of Leipzig. She can look forward to financial support totalling €7,200.

2nd prize: Paul Speitelsbach from the University of Hohenheim worked on the design of a tine-based traction system for lightweight robots used in the field. His thesis took second place with prize money of €6,000.

3rd prize: A student at Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom, Richard Geary, won third prize. His thesis entitled “Maize Belongs to the Farmer, Not the Field” investigates the optimisation of harvesting technology and earned him a grant of €4,800.

4th prize: Lasse Clausen analysed use of a CLAAS combine harvester in the field. The graduate of Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences received €3,600 in prize money.

Bonus prizes

Four bonus prizes, each worth €1,500, were awarded in addition to the annual scholarships.

A student of Harper Adams University in England, John David Kendal Morgan, received the prize in the category of Technical Solutions to Improve Animal Welfare. His thesis explored the development of a low-cost imaging system to analyse the behaviour of poultry in small Kenyan pens. James Patrick Nicol Shaw, also a graduate of Harper Adams University, won in the category of Improved Nutrient Management for Food Production. His thesis investigated the mechanical durability of digestate pellets. Coming first in the Technical Engagement category, Nathanael Ebertshäuser used field testing to determine and compare the rolling resistances of three tractors. He is a graduate of the University of Hohenheim. Jessica Emminghaus – also from the University of Hohenheim – won in the Innovation category with her thesis on electrification in agricultural technology.

AgTex Doctoral Thesis Prize (Agricultural Engineering Doctoral Prize)

Malte von Bloh received this year’s inaugural doctoral prize in the field of agricultural engineering, which is endowed with €5,000. Von Bloh researches the digital monitoring of plants in his doctoral project at Technische Universität München. Dr Hermann Garbers, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees, is patron of the award.

International Student Prizes

The International Student Prizes worth €2,000 each were awarded to Henk Nap from Wageningen University (Netherlands), Christian Ciocirlie from the University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” Timisoara (Romania), Benjamín Zvara from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (Slovakia), János Péter Jakus from Budapest BME University (Hungary) and Maciej Kubicki from Poznan University of Life Sciences (Poland). The Weihenstephan-Triesdorf scholarship went to Ibrahima Traore from Guinea.

All the award-winning students were presented with a certificate and prize money of 75 euros by the sponsors, the University President and the Vice President for Knowledge and Technology Transfer, Prof Dr René Fahr. The Förderpreis der Wirtschaft is awarded for special achievements in the natural science subjects mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. The awards were given to the best students in classes eight and nine of all 26 grammar schools and comprehensive schools in the Hochstift region.

The Förderpreis is financed by companies based in the region and awarded in cooperation with the University's Staff Office for University Networking and Fundraising. Riegraf praised the outstanding achievements of the students and encouraged them to continue their commitment. "In order to be able to cope with the great challenges we face in the areas of climate protection, sustainability or artificial intelligence, we need students who are as committed as you are, especially in the natural sciences and engineering." She also thanked the participating companies: "Without the great support of the sponsors, this event would not be possible. The fact that it has been able to take place so successfully for sixteen years now is the result of a sustainable cooperation between the university and the municipality, the districts of Höxter and Paderborn and, above all, the regional companies that are involved here with great continuity."

VerbundVolksbank OWL has also been committed to the Förderpreis der Wirtschaft for a long time. "The companies in our economic region will continue to be in urgent need of good young talent in the future. The talent is there, you just have to find it. The Förderpreis der Wirtschaft is a good instrument to make these talents visible to companies at an early stage. That is why we, as a regional cooperative bank, are very happy to support the Förderpreis," emphasises Thorsten Heggen, press spokesman for VerbundVolksbank OWL.

In addition to VerbundVolksbank OWL, the sponsors include the company dSPACE, the Claas Foundation Harsewinkel and the sponsoring community from the district of Höxter, consisting of the companies HEGLA GmbH & Co KG (Beverungen), Mahrenholz GmbH, (Beverungen) and Vauth-Sagel GmbH (Brakel). The representatives of the Paderborn districts (District Administrator Christoph Rüther for Paderborn and District Director Klaus Schumacher for Höxter) and the city of Paderborn (Deputy Mayor Sabine Kramm) presented a Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum voucher.

The AgTEx Doctoral Thesis Prize is awarded to doctoral candidates with a focus on agricultural engineering

• Are you a doctoral candidate who has completed the first year of your project?
• Are you working on technology related to the field of agricultural engineering?

Then we are looking for applications for the AgTEx Doctoral Thesis Prize 2022. The closing date for the application is the 1^st July 2022.

The prize has a value of 5.000 Euro for free use by the successful applicant. Next to the financial recognition, the winning candidate will also be invited to the annual Award Presentation of the CLAAS Foundation and to become involved with the successive Prize selection in 2024.

What is the application process?

The application submission consists of a summary of your concept and first achievements of your doctoral project and a description of your project plan to completion, which must cover one of the following topics:

• agricultural machines and mechanization
• tractors and engines
• electronics, automation and digitalization

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to your application!

CLAAS Stiftung
Sylvia Looks
Postfach 1163
33426 Harsewinkel
Germany

E-Mail: stiftung@claas.com
www.claas-foundation.com