The Evonik European Science-to-Business Award 2008: Winner elected

The results are in: The winner of the Evonik European Science-to-Business Award 2008 has now been elected. An international jury has chosen Dr. Paul Dalby for his project “Biocatalysis for Chiral Amino Diols”.

Three research teams with scientific works in the area of white biotechnology were nominated: Beside the winning project there were a process that produces acrylic glass from alcohol or sugar and proteins that act as luminescent reporters in the fight against cancer tumors - key words for projects that are futuristic yet firmly rooted in reality.

It is the second year Evonik Industries offered the award, which targets young researchers in Europe and carries prize money of €100,000. The objective of the Innovation Award is to promote the conversion of scientific projects into marketable products—a requirement met in full measure by the three research projects nominated. All the projects are either on the threshold of marketability or already there.

The Science-to-Business Award is an initiative of Evonik Industries. Dr. Arend Oetker, President of the Donor’s Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany, is patron of the award. With this award, Evonik is encouraging young researchers to dare to take that step from the laboratory into business. The theme of the 2008 award was “White Biotechnology” (industrial biotechnology).