The Schaeffler FAG Foundation has honored six young scientists in Schweinfurt with the “Innovation Award.” The award recognized doctoral and master’s theses in the fields of bearing technology and related disciplines. The total prize money amounts to 18,000 euros.

According to the foundation, it recognizes scientific work with particular practical relevance for industrial applications.

“The award-winning projects impressively demonstrate how practical research and innovative methods contribute to solving key challenges in modern drive systems and manufacturing processes. Particularly noteworthy is their high relevance to industrial applications—from electromobility and wind energy to more efficient production,” said Esther Rahner, Board Member of the Schaeffler FAG Foundation and Head of HR for Schaeffler’s Bearings & Industrial Solutions division.

Research on Rolling Bearings and Manufacturing Processes

Three outstanding dissertations address issues related to rolling bearings and their manufacturing. Dr. Omid Safdarzadeh developed a physics-based model to describe electrical resistance in rolling bearings in order to better understand damage caused by parasitic currents. Dr. Volker Schneider investigated the electrical modeling of rolling bearing components and simulations for evaluating current-induced damage. Dr. Nikolai Guba developed a method for detecting grinding burn during the machining of hardened steels as early as the grinding process itself.

Master's Theses Focusing on Digitalization and Condition Monitoring

The award-winning master’s theses address a variety of technological topics. Marius Oechslein developed an approach for the automated harmonization and contextualization of data from various sources to improve the validation of rolling bearings. Max Pohlmann investigated electrical shunt elements for reducing parasitic currents in electric drives. Dominik Stephan analyzed the possibilities of non-destructive eddy current testing for assessing the condition of rolling bearing components.

The foundation has been supporting research for more than 40 years

Since 1983, the Schaeffler FAG Foundation has been supporting science, research, and education in the field of bearing technology. According to the foundation, it has awarded grants totaling more than 1.3 million euros since then.

The application deadline for the “Future Technology Award,” which comes with a prize of 100,000 euros, and for the next “Innovation Award” is July 31, 2026.