Research Project “Sustainable tires from dandelions" Among the Finalists of Federal President's Award
It is one of the most prestigious innovation awards in Germany: November 17, 2021, the German President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier awarded the Zukunftspreis 2021/Federal President’s Award. In a multi-level selection process from a multitude of projects, the jury of the Federal President’s Award decided in September on these three teams of researchers and their innovations for the final round of the prize:
- ”Photon-counting computed tomography scanner - A revolutionary way of looking inside the human body“, Siemens Healthineers AG
- ”Sustainable tires from dandelions – Innovations from biology, technology and agriculture“, a partnership of Continental, University of Münster and Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
- ”mRNA vaccines for humanity – The first COVID-19 vaccine ushers in a new era in medicine“, BioNTech SE
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis
Although Dr. Carla Recker, Dirk Prüfer and Christian Schulze Gronover Dr. Carla Recker (Continental), Prof. Dr. Dirk Prüfer (University of Münster) and Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover (Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME) have not been awarded with the Federal President’s award for the Taraxagum project this year, the project team is proud of our nomination among the finalists.
Dr. Carla Recker: “This award is a great honor for us. It once again confirms the potential of a new raw material source for natural rubber. Together with our project network, we have been able to significantly advance research into the entire value chain of the Russian dandelion.
The industrialization of the cultivation of dandelion rubber is the goal of our long-term project, where the key to success is mutual trust and perseverance, Our first, series-produced bicycle tire made from dandelion rubber, the Urban Taraxagum, shows that marketable products made of natural rubber from the dandelion plant are possible.”
Please also read the press release "Team of Continental, Fraunhofer IME and the University of Münster Nominated for Federal President's Award".
Find out more about the project "Rubber from Dandelions - Continental is developing Sustainability".
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