In memory of the world-famous chemist Hermann Franz Mark, the OFI presents the H.F. Mark medal to personalities who have made special achievements in the field of plastics and polymer technology. This year Univ.Prof. DI Dr. Robert Liska (Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Applied Synthetic Chemistry) and Univ.Prof. DI Dr. Jürgen Stampfl (Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Materials Science and Technology) received the internationally renowned award.

At the festive awarding of the H.F. Mark Medaille 2021, around 90 guests gathered in the ballroom of the House of Engineers in Vienna on October 20. The focus of the event this year was on two university professors who were honored for their scientific work - together. It is the first time in the history of the H.F. Mark Medal that two winners are honored for their outstanding collaboration.

“The results of their research show how well Univ.Prof. Dr. Robert Liska and Univ.Prof. Dr. Jürgen Stampfl work together. Her interest in not only expanding basic knowledge, but also applying her knowledge and making it usable for industry, is unbroken. I am very pleased that these two extraordinary personalities pass on not only their knowledge, but also their passion for research to the students of the Vienna University of Technology, ”said Univ.Prof. DI Dr. Sabine Seidler, who, as the Rector of the Vienna University of Technology, knows exactly how this year's award winners work.

Robert Liska and Jürgen Stampfl have been researching together for more than 20 years. Coming from different disciplines, they succeeded in combining their knowledge in such a way that something new could emerge from it. In their research, they deal with photopolymerization and 3D printing and the possibilities that this creates for additive manufacturing.

“A good balance between basic research, applied research and industrial cooperation is important to us. I find it incredibly exciting to put the basic knowledge I have acquired into practice. Even if it has been shown that it takes an extremely long time to turn it into a marketable product, ”explains Univ.Prof. Dr. Robert Liska out.

As part of a panel discussion, Univ.Prof. Dr. Robert Liska and Univ.Prof. Dr. Jürgen Stampfl not only gave an insight into her scientific career, but also showed the potential of interdisciplinary cooperation based on different areas of application of her research. The findings of Liska and Stampfl are in part already being used in dentistry, microelectronics and biomedicine. The level of commitment with which this year's award winners conduct research became clear in a joint discussion. Their collaboration continues and they still have some research approaches that they will pursue together with their students.

For their outstanding achievements in the field of photopolymers and 3D printing, Univ.Prof. Dr. Robert Liska and Univ.Prof. Dr. Jürgen Stampfl finally jointly founded the H.F. Mark medal. Together with a certificate, the OFI managing directors Dr. Michael Balak and DI Udo Pappler presented.

"The H.F. Mark medal is the most prestigious award that can be received in Austria for work in polymer science. I feel very honored that we have received this recognition for our twenty years of work together, ”says Univ.Prof. Dr. Jürgen Stampfl is pleased.

The award of the H.F. Mark Medaille has been one of the event fixtures of the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology (OFI) since 1975. This award honors the achievements of personalities in the field of polymer science or the plastics industry. It is named after the Austrian-US chemist Hermann Franz Mark, who is considered to be an essential founder of modern polymer science. With the award of the medal, the OFI wants to underline the interplay between science and business in memory of Hermann Franz Mark. As a member of the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR), OFI supports the industry with applied research and thus directly passes on current know-how.

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