Claas-Stiftung celebrating 25 years

The Claas-Stiftung was established in 1999 under the patronage of Helmut Claas. As the first of its kind in East Westphalia-Lippe, it focusses on supporting young talent in the field of agricultural engineering. The foundation aims to support education and knowledge in agriculture and to make the opportunities and prospects of modern agricultural technology visible through a variety of initiatives - both for the next generation and for the general public. This mission was always close to the heart of Helmut Claas, who passed away in January 2021 at the age of 94.

The Claas-Stiftung is the first of its kind to focus on promoting young talent in the field of agricultural engineering in East Westphalia-Lippe (Germany). “The Claas-Stiftung has developed steadily over the past 25 years,” said Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees. “With its diverse initiatives, it supports research in agriculture and agricultural technology and makes the possibilities and prospects of modern agricultural technology tangible - especially for the younger generation, but also for the general public. This was a matter close to my father's heart and is still close to mine today.”

Around 200 students have been awarded a Helmut Claas scholarship since the foundation was established. The Claas-Stiftung also maintains a lively network with schools, universities and other educational institutions in Germany and abroad, promoting projects and collaborations. A total of more than 2.5 million euros in funding has been awarded since the foundation was established.

Two further celebrations are planned during the anniversary year. In June, former scholarship holders will come together for an alumni reunion. ‘Maintaining personal contact with our award winners in the long term is important to us,’ emphasises Sylvia Looks from the Claas-Stiftung's Executive Board. The award ceremony, which takes place every year in October and honours the new young talents, will form the festive conclusion of the anniversary year.

Sylvia Looks, Executive Board of the Claas-Stiftung, and Fynn Lammers (2nd Prize Helmut Claas Scholarship 2021), who is active in the alumni network, welcomed the guests. Among others, Alistar Wharton, who was honoured in 2005, was present as the "longest-serving" award winner. This was followed by short presentations: Paolo Bertin, is responsible for research and innovation of raw materials and obtaining optimal raw materials for later processing at the food company Dr Schär. Malte von Bloh is doing his doctorate at the Technical University of Munich in the field of machine learning.

Eberhard Weller from the Group History Team gave a guided tour of the hall with the historical machines on display.

In addition to discussions and a barbecue buffet, the evening concluded with an experimental challenge that combined sportiness with science and technology by demonstrating the influence of pre-acceleration on the speed of the crop flow in the combine harvester: the water in a large bottle had to be set in rotation so that it could flow out as quickly as possible. The record that evening was 6.5 seconds (absolute record 4 seconds).

"We are delighted to have received the largest donation to the capital stock since the Claas-Stiftung was established," reports Executive Board member Frank Klüsener. "The foundation's assets of almost 20 million euros will enable further initiatives in the future." The 40 per cent increase will enable the foundation's scope and activities to be further expanded and, above all, made more international. "Agricultural engineering is a global topic. We are therefore delighted to be able to play an even greater role in international projects and facilitate cross-border exchange between universities, colleges and their students," says Sylvia Looks, member of the Executive Board of the Claas-Stiftung.

In this special year, the award ceremony took place in a suitably festive setting. In his address, guest of honour Professor Giovanni Molari, Rector of the University of Bologna (Italy) - founded in 1088 and recognized as the oldest university in the Western world - discussed the importance of transferring scientific knowledge into practice. He also explored the future challenges facing agriculture. In this context, he emphasized the importance of the interaction between universities and foundations.

Subsequently, the young talents received their awards, totaling approximately 75,000 euros, after the winners of the four main prizes had presented their theses in brief talks to the audience. The awards were presented by Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees. In her speech, she spoke about the role of the Claas-Stiftung in connection with the current global challenges: "Promoting education, science and research is the foundation's mission, but conditions have changed over the past 25 years, and they continue to change. Today, agriculture faces major challenges such as climate change and a shortage of skilled workers. The foundation contributes through its various initiatives by supporting students, funding research projects, and inspiring schoolchildren in agricultural and technical subjects."  

The 2024 prize winners

Established in 1999, the Claas-Stiftung awards the Helmut Claas Scholarships, Bonus Prizes and International Student Prizes every year. The following prizes were awarded:

Scholarships

1st prize: Ferdinand Andreas Orth, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, dealt with the "economic and ecological assessment of different driving strategies of alternative machine concepts". He received 7,200 euros for his work.

2nd prize: Walburga Maria Amelie Puff, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, investigated "Digital solutions in viticulture". The prize is endowed with 6,000 euros.

3rd prize: Philipp Ulrich, Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, received 4,800 euros for "Optical determination of the moisture content of maize plants using artificial neural networks".

4th prize: This prize is endowed with 3,600 euros and was awarded twice this year. Max Eckey, University of Stuttgart, received the prize for "Experimental determination of the coefficients of friction of wheat straw under variation of surface pressure and moisture content". Jonas Gröner, Munich School of Engineering (TU Munich), was honoured for his bachelor thesis in the field of mechatronics.

Bonus prizes

In addition to the scholarships, three bonus prizes worth 1,500 euros each were awarded. Markus Peifer-Weihs, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, examined the "Structure of development cooperation in Kenya in relation to preservation tillage and the mechanization of small-scale farms". Lukas Weirowitz, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, developed a "System for foreign part detection in cotton processing using high-speed near-infrared spectroscopy". Archie Henry Bennett, Harper Adams University (UK), received an award for his study on the optimization of machine availability.

Bekzod Abdullaev from Uzbekistan is delighted to receive the scholarship for his MBA studies at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences.

Anniversary competition "Transformation in agriculture"

To mark the anniversary, the foundation announces a special competition for next year entitled "Transformation in Agriculture". The competition is open to educational institutions in agriculture and related fields. The focus will be on contributions and projects that reflect the foundation's guiding principles for improving education in agricultural engineering and its supporting sectors. Professors, supervisors, postdocs and doctoral students can apply for their respective institutions. A maximum of three prizes will be awarded for a funding period of three years. Prize money of a total of 25,000 euros per year will be awarded. Applications can be submitted until February 21, 2025.

New face on the Board of Trustees

In the anniversary year of the Claas-Stiftung, there is also a change in personnel: Dr Thomas Barrelmeyer, responsible for the development of self-propelled harvesting machines across the CLAAS Group, succeeds Dr Hermann Garbers as Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Dr Garbers had been active in this role since the foundation was established and was bid farewell with great thanks and recognition.

About the Claas-Stiftung

The foundation collaborates closely with a jury of international experts in agricultural science, as well as with renowned colleges and universities in Germany and abroad. The foundation's assets amount to around 20 million euros. In addition to the Helmut Claas Scholarship, the Claas-Stiftung also supports international research projects at universities and promotes initiatives at schools to get pupils interested in science and technology.