Borealis Student Innovation Award 2008 - The Winners

Andrea Ravasio, awardee, with Christian Paulik, External Research Manager and Alfred Stern, Vice President Innovation and Technology, both Borealis

Dr. Andrea Ravasio - Winner of 5,000 Euros

For his doctoral degree on norbornene-based polyolefins by post-metallocene catalysts, Italian student Dr. Andrea Ravasio received 5,000 euros. Ravasio's doctoral dissertation was carried out at the University of Pavia, under Professor Maurizio Licchelli and Incoronata Tritto. Professor Tritto says that Dr. Ravasio showed himself to be very talented in the design and synthesis of organometallic compounds and copolymers.

"What singled out Andrea was his comprehensive knowledge of catalysis for olefin and cyclo-olefin copolymerization," says Christian Paulik, Manager for External Research and Funding at Borealis,  in explaining the decision of the jury to give the doctorate award to Dr. Ravasio.

Andreas Fuchs, awardee, with Alfred Stern, Vice President Innovation and Technology, Borealis

Andreas Fuchs - Winner of 3,000 Euros

Austrian student Andreas Fuchs (and today Service Engineer for the department for Advanced Polymer Characterisation at Borealis) yields 3,000 euros for his masters degree thesis on scavengers and chemical bonding for defined volatile components in polyolefins.

"Andreas Fuchs studied for his masters degree at the Johannes Kepler University, Linz, under the tutelage of Professor Oliver Brüggemann, who describes him as "one of the best co-workers I have worked with in my career".

Fuchs' thesis shows new ways to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from polyolefins. "This work is set in the real world," says Christian Paulik. "Andreas's findings might well help in the development of future polymers."