Following the opening of the ceremony with a laudatory speech, all the award winners presented their work to the audience in a short presentation.

The first-place winner in the Biology category is Lena Schwaiger from BG/BRG Zell am See. In her project, she investigated the effects of the Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm on the efficacy of disinfectants. Alexander Berghammer from the BRG Salzburg impressed the judges with his ABA project ‘The Development of a Web Application to Support Legal Guardians in Germany’ and was awarded first prize in Computer Science for his work.

In the Physics category, Clara Danmayr from the St. Ursula Private Grammar School and Upper Secondary School took first place. Her project, written in English, is entitled: “Spectroscopy and its significance in astronomy with a special focus on the Salzburg VEGA observatory”. Leon Michael Zoppoth was awarded first prize in Mathematics. In his ABA, he explored the combination of information when solving problems, focusing on the mathematical modelling of psychological principles. Zoppoth graduated from the Werkschulheim Felbertal Private Grammar School.

Receiving a Dr Hans Riegel-Award is just the first step in fostering talent: all 10 award winners are granted access to the MINT TANK network – an alumni programme that offers members a wide range of opportunities for networking and attending specialist events.