Story · November 14, 2025
DynamoBot wins the inaugural UGB Transfer Prize 2025 in Bonn
The University Society Bonn's new Transfer Prize honours DynamoBot's AI-driven precision weed management alongside Sweethoven Biotech and Midel Photonics.
Source: University of Bonn — Press release 204/2025
A new UGB Transfer Prize
The UGB Transfer Prize was newly established this year on the initiative of Rector Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch. With it, the University Society Bonn (UGB) and the University of Bonn honour outstanding transfer projects that make research visible, address concrete societal challenges, and translate scientific insight into real applications. A total prize pool of 10,000 euros was awarded across three projects.
The jury was chaired by Prof. Dr. Denise Fischer-Kreer, professor of Entrepreneurial Behaviour at the University of Bonn, and included representatives from the university, business, culture, and civil society — among them Dr. Jörg Haas (Partner and CEO of HW Partners AG), Stefan Hagen (President of the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Alma Hannig (Coordinator of the University Museum/P26, University of Bonn), Stephan Huthmacher (founder and supervisory board of Comma Soft AG Bonn), Dr. Martina Krechel-Engert (Managing Director of the Rectorate), and Prof. Dr. Annette Scheersoi (Vice-Rector for Sustainability).
The three winning transfer projects
Prof. Fischer-Kreer presented certificates to the three honoured transfer projects:
- 1st place (€5,000) — "Sweethoven Biotech": prebiotic sugar alternatives developed from university research. The prize was received by Dr. Marcel Hövels and Dr. André Neff from the Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology (IFMB) at the University of Bonn. The project demonstrates how biotech research can yield innovative answers for nutrition and health.
- 2nd place (€3,000) — "Midel Photonics": the team develops innovative laser beam shaping techniques for demanding industrial applications. The founders Dr. David Dung, Dr. Christian Wahl, Dr. Christopher Grossert, and Frederik Wolf received the award.
- 3rd place (€2,000) — "DynamoBot": the project develops AI-driven solutions for precision weed management and comprehensive monitoring of agricultural land. The award was received by founder and CEO Dr. Alireza Ahmadi on behalf of DynamoBot GmbH.
UGB Prizes 2025 for outstanding dissertations and student engagement
Alongside the new Transfer Prize, the University Society Bonn also presented its awards for outstanding dissertations and student engagement at the winter soirée. Certificates were presented by Prof. Dr. Ute C. Vothknecht.
The highest-endowed UGB Prize, worth €10,000, honours dissertations of particular scientific relevance. This year it went to Dr. Kristof Keidel for his work in psychology, "Impulsive decision-making: psychometric, experimental and neuroimaging approaches."
The Bonn Prize for Medicine, endowed by the Prof. Dr. Rolf and Dr. Gisela Dederich Foundation and worth €5,000, went to Dr. Jil D. Stegmann for her dissertation identifying disease variants in Celsr3 in the zebrafish model.
The €2,000 Geheimrat Dr. Edmund ter-Meer Prize for outstanding chemistry dissertations went to Dr. Sebastian Höthker for his thesis on stereoconvergent, intramolecular transfer reactions at β-titanoxy radicals.
The UGB Initiative Prize was also awarded to the student initiative "femARTicola" from the Department of Art History, which works to give greater visibility to women artists in art history.
Contact
University Society Bonn — Freunde, Förderer, Alumni e.V. Tel: +49 228 73-7021 Email: ugb@uni-bonn.de Web: ugb.uni-bonn.de