Ceremonial award ceremony for tomorrow's agricultural experts

Harsewinkel, November 2025. The CLAAS Foundation looks back on 26 years of dedicated support for young talents and continues to set an example for innovation, education and international cooperation in the field of agricultural technology. At a ceremony held in the Greenhouse at the CLAAS site in Harsewinkel on 26 November 2025, committed and talented students were honoured for their forward-looking research work.

First, the CLAAS Foundation's current projects, which focus on innovative approaches in the field of agricultural technology, were presented. "Our commitment is aimed at promoting sustainability and strengthening the exchange between science and practice," explained Sylvia Looks, Member of theCLAAS Foundation Executive Board. "In doing so, we focus particularly oninitiatives with an international outlook topromote scientific exchange worldwide."

Prof Matteo Matteucci from the University of Milan and Dr Jan Schattenberg from the Technical University of Braunschweig presented the "Field Robot Event" team competition. The Field Robot Event has been running for more than 20 years and brings together talented young students in the field of robotics onan international level. The Field Robot Event provides an important platform

for working on solutions to the challenges of modern agriculture.

Prof. Harald Strating from the Osnabrück Student Research Centre (SFZ) presented a wide range of initiatives to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) skills among children and young people. The SFZ offers ongoing programmes in areas such as robotics and 3D printing, as well as regular STEM events that facilitate local access to scientific and technical education. This enables young people to develop an interest in and an understanding of forward-looking technologies at an early age through practical projects.

Following the speeches, the young talents received their awards. Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, Chair of the Board of Trustees, presented the awards and praised the scholarship holders' commitment. Her words underscored the significance of the achievements presented and the role of the CLAAS Foundation in supporting young talents in the agricultural sector.

The 2025 award winners

Founded in 1999, the CLAAS Foundation awards the Helmut Claas Scholarships, bonus prizes and international student prizes every year. The following prizes were awarded: 

Scholarships 

1st prize: Laura Eckhardt from the University of Hohenheim showed how artificial intelligence can help to make agricultural work processes not only more efficient but also more sustainable. Her research compares tried-and-tested methods with AI-supported speed control in tillage – an approach with potential for the agriculture of tomorrow.

2nd prize: Flora Lucy Gray from Durham University (UK) investigated how maize cultivation and nitrogen-fixing plants can serve as indicators for different farming systems. Her comprehensive analysis of the effects of regenerative and conventional agriculture on soil quality provides valuable insights for sustainability practices.

3rd prize: Lukas Musser from Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences impressed with his innovative development of an adaptive welding device for chassis, which can be supplemented with a welding robot in the future – a highly relevant response to increasing automation requirements.

4th prize: Bendix Markus Sommer from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences presented a particularly practice-oriented contribution with his work on the evaluation of alternative machine concepts for sustainable arable farming systems, which addresses the challenges and opportunities of technical innovations in agricultural operations.

Bonus prizes 

During the award ceremony, three outstanding bonus prizes were also awarded in recognition of special student projects in the areas of "protection of staple foods", "innovation in agriculture" and "environmental management":

Maria Pinheiro from the University of Glasgow was honoured for her pioneering research in the field of molecular biosciences. Her project investigates chemical enhancers as a means of increasing the bactericidal activity of bacteriocins against plant bacterial pathogens, which promises significant advances in the protection of staple foods. 

Martin Fankhaenel from the Technical University of Dresden received the bonus prize for his thesis on the design of a system for separating cereal grains according to grain size. This technical innovation not only ensures increased efficiency in grain processing but also contributes to better use of agricultural resources and improves the quality of harvested products. 

Emma Tätemeyer from the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau was honoured for her research work on "Nitrification inhibition by Fallopia japonica". Her work breaks new ground in environmental management and provides significant insights into nutrient management with sustainability in agriculture.

These awards symbolise the diversity of innovative solutions developed by talented young researchers, whose work not only demonstrates academic excellence but also contributes to overcoming current agricultural challenges. The CLAAS Foundation remains committed to promoting such forward-looking approaches and supporting the bridge between science and practical implementation.

Anniversary competition "Transformation in Agriculture"

As part of the CLAAS Foundation's 25th anniversary celebrations in 2025, three visionary projects were honoured that reflect the innovative strength and diversity of modern agricultural research. In the "Visionary" category, Sebastian Eichelsbacher from the Technical University of Munich, Chair of Digital Agriculture, received the award for his planned project "Rethinking agriculture: wheat in vertical farms". Eichelsbacher shows how wheat cultivation in vertical farming can enable agriculture that is both sustainable and resource-efficient in the future.

Prof Michele Mattetti from the University of Bologna, Department of Ag Engineering, was honoured in the "Methodical" category. His project, entitled "Unlocking Farming Technology Potential: The Synergy of Discrete Event Simulation and Real-World Data", explores the combination of simulation models and real field data to create new opportunities for increased efficiency and precision in agriculture.

In the "Infrastructure" category, Prof Jana Galambošová from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Institute of Agrotechnology, received the award. Her project "SMART Agri classroom" develops a forward-looking classroom concept for digital and practical training in the agricultural sector.

These award-winning projects represent the CLAAS Foundation's international and interdisciplinary commitment to promoting innovative solutions for "transformation in agriculture".