Innovative ideas for climate protection: competition honors young researchers!

Innovative ideas for climate protection: competition honors young researchers!

The “Forum Young Top Research” competition at the Technical University of Dortmund has once again highlighted the innovation potential in the region. On May 8, 2025, six promising project works were presented that focus on technologies and services for the energy transition and climate protection. Dr. Ronald Kriedel, Managing Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET) at TU Dortmund University, emphasized the important role that young researchers play in developing solutions to urgent challenges. The CET is actively committed to translating ideas from basic research into practical applications to address socially relevant problems, as stated in a report by tu-dortmund.de mentioned.

This year, Felix Nal was recognized for his “Returnee” project, which includes a revolutionary pressure control valve with an integrated radial expansion turbine for CO2-neutral power generation. Normally, pressure reduction in gas pipes is achieved by throttling, which often results in energy loss. Nal’s innovative method, on the other hand, effectively uses this pressure reduction to generate energy. He received a prize of 12,000 euros for his research approach. In his presentation, Nal highlighted the social relevance of his work and emphasized the valuable collaboration with his industrial partner, W2.

The role of SMEs in the energy transition

The importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is of great relevance for the development of new technologies in climate protection and climate adaptation. These companies contribute to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through their products, processes and services. The funding guideline “KMU-innovativ: Energy efficiency, climate protection and climate adaptation” (KMUi-Klima) aims to motivate research-active SMEs to intensify their research and development activities (R&D activities), according to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( bmbf.de ).

A central goal of the federal government is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 and to become greenhouse gas neutral by 2045. The funding guidelines not only support the implementation of the German adaptation strategy to climate change, but also the federal government's “Future Research and Innovation Strategy”. R&D projects that contribute to increasing energy efficiency and developing greenhouse gas-reducing technologies are particularly supported.

Innovations in focus

It is crucial for SMEs to develop innovative products and processes that contribute to both increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In order to meet these requirements, comprehensive climate protection and adaptation measures are necessary. The funding measure aims to expand the innovation base of SMEs in the areas of climate protection and climate adaptation. Evaluation deadlines for project outlines are April 15th and October 15th of each year, with a focus on excellence, degree of innovation and social relevance, as on projekttraeger.dlr.de explained.

Small and medium-sized companies are emerging as important players in the ecological transformation and the market for environmental technologies. Their role is becoming increasingly important not only in research, but also in the practical implementation of climate protection solutions.