Five outstanding research talents honored

This year's Werner von Siemens Fellows are:

• Dr. Franziska Boenisch, CISPA Helmholtz Centre for Information Security, Saarbrücken: Her research sets new standards in the field of data protection for AI models. With her approach of a flexible, user-centered understanding of differential privacy, she makes it possible for the first time to incorporate individual privacy preferences into the training of large language models (LLMs) - a significant advance, especially for applications in the healthcare sector.
• Dr. Elena Jordan, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig: The physicist is doing pioneering work in the development of scalable ion traps with integrated nanophotonics, a key technology for quantum sensors and quantum computers. Her patented trap design enables high-precision measurements and paves the way for portable quantum sensors outside of specialized laboratories.
• Dr.-Ing. Martha Kalina, Dresden University of Technology: Her research combines mechanical engineering, material mechanics and material design. With a new phase field model for simulating crack initiation and progression, she is creating the basis for precise service life predictions for modern materials. For the first time, the method allows a scalable, microscopically accurate analysis of fatigue damage and supports the development of durable materials.
• Dr. Johannes Tiedau, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig: By realizing a resonant transition in the isotope thorium-229, he took a decisive step towards the first optical nuclear clock. This new generation of clocks surpasses the accuracy of today's atomic clocks and opens up new perspectives for fundamental tests of physics and high-precision time measurement.
• Dr. Taha Soliman, Bosch Research, Renningen: He develops particularly energy- and area-efficient hardware architectures for artificial intelligence and embedded systems. Using innovative acceleration techniques directly in the memory and deliberately foregoing maximum computing accuracy, he makes neural networks significantly more energy-efficient and practical, for example in vehicles, wearables or medical technology.

"With their excellent work, the Werner von Siemens Fellows show how important perseverance is alongside curiosity and courage in order to enable progress in key technologies. They not only drive scientific research forward in strategically important fields, but also focus on applications with social benefits. These outstanding talents have precisely the innovative potential that we need as a society and as a location for innovation," says Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Werner von Siemens Ring Foundation.

The award is aimed at researchers from the natural and technical sciences in the early stages of their careers and is endowed with prize money of 10,000 euros each. The Werner von Siemens Fellows are nominated by members of the Board of Trustees, including recipients of the Werner von Siemens Ring, and appointed by the Foundation. In addition to financial recognition, they gain access to an exclusive network of top-level research and industry. The aim of the program is to make promising talents visible at an early stage, to support them in the long term and to provide impetus for a new generation of researchers. The award is presented every two years in December.