The Arburg headquarters in Lossburg hosted the award ceremony for the Arburg Newcomer Awards 2026, aimed at young talents in the MINT subjects, that is mathematics, IT, natural sciences and technology. The competition is directed at students from partner schools in the Black Forest region and is intended to promote technical interests and science education already at school level. In this year's edition, five students were honoured: two final-year A-level students from Heinrich-Schickhardt-Schule in Freudenstadt and three secondary school pupils from Falkenrealschule in Freudenstadt and John-Bühler Realschule in Dornhan. The awarded projects and activities covered, among other topics, issues in automotive engineering and mechanical and physical applications of virtual reality.
Cooperation with schools and selection criteria
Schools in the local area that have concluded a cooperation agreement with Arburg are eligible to take part in the competition. Potential award winners are nominated by teachers at secondary and grammar schools. As emphasised by Michael Vieth, Director Apprenticeship at Arburg, all such institutions can put forward candidates for the award.
The winner selection process is based on several criteria. Trainer Marius Singer explains that not only aptitude in MINT subjects is taken into account, but also personal initiative and outstanding commitment, both in and out of school. In the 2026 edition, such activities included participation in chemistry and physics laboratory exercises as well as in the Chemestree 2025 chemistry competition.
Profiles of awarded students and their projects
This year, two awards went to grammar school pupils Jan Gretscher and Jonas Daniel Birlinger, and three to secondary school pupils Diana Slizkov, Samira Pfaff and Lucas Sagel. The award winners represent different areas of interest, but a common feature is a practical approach to technical topics and a strong motivation to develop skills in the field of science.
Diana Slizkov from Falkenrealschule in Freudenstadt is actively involved in a wide range of scientific and technical activities. Among other things, she designed her own open-top racing car, taking care of its fabrication from metal and equipping it with striking electric LED lighting. In her school’s chemistry club she also co-created an unconventional "Christmas tree" on which, instead of baubles, test tubes containing chemical substances reacting with one another were hung, causing the mixtures to glow or even burn.
Lucas Sagel from John-Bühler Realschule in Dornhan focuses on working with wood. He has built, among other projects, a miniature house, which he continuously extends with new elements. In addition, he creates his own statues from modelling clay, developing both manual skills and spatial awareness.
Samira Pfaff from the same school describes mathematics and technology as her main passions. She enjoys working in her own workshop, where she has constructed a self-propelled wooden vehicle. She has also gained initial practical experience in the field of architecture during successfully completed internships.
Jan Gretscher from Heinrich-Schickhardt-Schule in Freudenstadt is particularly interested in chemistry experiments and selected technical topics. At his school these are offered as optional subjects. Like his older brother, he plans to deepen his knowledge and skills in the field of technology in the future.
Jonas Daniel Birlinger from the same school focuses on the combination of mechanics and electrical engineering. He has already completed an internship in mechatronics and, as part of a study-integrated apprenticeship (SIA) at the Dual Universities of Baden-Württemberg, intends to work on a VR application designed to develop basic mechanical and physical knowledge.
Ceremony at the Arburg Vocational Training Center
The award ceremony took place during an evening event at the Arburg Vocational Training Center in Lossburg. Parents and teachers of the awarded students were also invited, underlining the importance of cooperation between industry and the local education system. The official part was preceded by a tour of the Customer Center and the Evolution exhibition, which presents the company’s history in a way that enables visitors to experience its development and activities first-hand.
After the tour, the company’s triple-certified vocational training concept and a concise overview of the training programmes available at Arburg were presented at the Vocational Training Center. Short interviews with the award winners about their projects gave guests a better insight into the scope and nature of the technical and scientific activities undertaken by the students. Afterwards, Stefan Beck, Vice President Global HR at Arburg, together with Michael Vieth and Marius Singer, presented the award winners with cash prizes and certificates.
The winners of the Arburg Newcomer Awards 2026: Lucas Sagel, Diana Slizkov, Samira Pfaff, Jan Gretscher and Jonas Daniel Birlinger (front row, from left) with their awards, together with Stefan Beck, Arburg Vice President Global HR.
