FOGTEC has awarded the Ernst Achilles Prize for the third time, recognising outstanding international early career research in fire protection.
The ceremony took place on 5 December 2025 at the company’s Cologne headquarters, where finalists presented their work and discussed current scientific developments with industry experts. A total of €7,500 in prize money was distributed.
The award highlights innovative bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral research that advances modern fire protection. According to organisers, this year saw an especially strong field of applicants, reflecting growing academic engagement with the sector’s technical and societal challenges.
Evaluation focused on innovation, scientific quality and practical applicability. Following a multi stage assessment and extensive jury deliberation, three submissions were selected for their particular excellence.
First place went to Maximilian Weisbecker of the University of Magdeburg for his thesis ‘Sparks and fire spread: Experimental investigations into the ignition mechanism in forest and vegetation samples’.
Second place was awarded to Andreas Schultz of the University of Paderborn for ‘Designing a digital knowledge management system for civil hazard prevention using the example of the fire brigade’.
Third place went to Frederik Buhk of Lund University for ‘Influence of Local Vegetation on Fire Spread Mechanisms in Surface Fires’
The winners were chosen by an independent jury comprising Prof Roland Goertz of the University of Wuppertal, Dr Andreas Rogge of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Corinna Trettin of TÜV Süd Rail, Rajko Rothe of IFAB, Witali Engelhardt of FM Approvals and FOGTEC Managing Director Dirk Sprakel.
Named after the internationally recognised fire protection pioneer Ernst Achilles, the award honours his legacy of innovation and technical leadership. FOGTEC positions the prize as both a tribute to Achilles’ influence and a commitment to supporting the next generation of specialists.
Dirk Sprakel said: “The award-winning works make an important contribution to the further development of fire protection, and that is exactly what we want to promote with this award. As a company that invests heavily in research itself, it is particularly important to us to support young talent and offer them a platform for their ideas.”
