Hamburg Aviation Young Talents Award 2024 presented

Tahsin Simsek and Torben Katala receive the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award 2024 for the best final thesis on an aviation-related topic. The two first-place winners come from HAW Hamburg and RWTH Aachen University. Together with Antonia Münchenbach, TU Hamburg can celebrate a victory in the Sustainable Aviation category. Since 2023, the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award has included the Trainee Award for outstanding achievements by young trainees. Martin Hermans from Airbus prevailed against his competitors.

The young talent awards were presented for the first time at a separate event at the Ginn Hotel Hamburg. In doing so, Hamburg Aviation is recognising the outstanding achievements of students and trainees and promoting young talent in the aviation industry. Hamburg's Senator for Economics and Innovation, Dr Melanie Leonhard, welcomed the nominees and guests with a video message: “The Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award 2024 recognises the outstanding achievements of young talents who are shaping the future of aviation with fresh ideas and commitment. They are the innovators of tomorrow, driving technological progress and sustainable development with their passion. I would like to congratulate all the nominees and thank Hamburg Aviation and all its partners for supporting this important programme.”

Torben Katala examined an innovative assembly concept for the aviation industry in his thesis. His focus was on analyzing a flexible production system for the Airbus A320 family. Given the increasing product complexity and the goal of higher production rates, Katala simulated a modular final assembly system. With his simulation, which serves to investigate whether such a system could increase manufacturing efficiency while keeping up with the growing variety of aircraft models, the graduate of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen convinced the jury in the “Bachelor” category. His victory also pleased the cooperation partner Airbus, with whom Katala realized his thesis. The “Master” trophy goes to Tahsin Simsek from HAW Hamburg with his work on the “Development of an optimization algorithm for the placement of microphones and speakers for Active Noise Control.” In his master’s thesis, Tahsin Simsek developed an optimization algorithm that helps reduce noise in future climate-neutral aircraft with propellers through Active Noise Control. The goal was to find the best arrangement of microphones and speakers to reduce disturbing noises as effectively as possible. Initially, the algorithm was tested with simulation data and later successfully verified in practical experiments. His victory also pleased the cooperation partner Airbus, with whom Simsek realized his thesis.

The ‘Sustainable Aviation’ category was launched in 2020 on the initiative of Hamburg Aviation member and Barsbüttel-based family business Krüger Aviation. It honours theses that deal with the sustainable future of aviation and develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing the industry. The focus is particularly on the research and development of hydrogen technologies, which will play a key role in the future propulsion and operation of aircraft and thus make a significant contribution to more sustainable aviation. In her work, Antonia Münchenbach from Hamburg University of Technology focussed on the safety challenges involved in integrating a hydrogen piping system into the fuselage of a future aircraft. Based on existing industry standards and her own simulations, she developed various system layouts, evaluated them and derived new requirements for the safe implementation of hydrogen technologies. The jury praised her bachelor's thesis and argumentation ‘as conclusive and coherent. Her analysis and development of requirements for the safe and efficient distribution of liquid hydrogen represents a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of aviation,’ the jury continued.

Excellent training: Since 2013, the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award has recognised outstanding academic achievements in the field of aviation in the Hamburg metropolitan region. Students do not necessarily have to be enrolled at a Hamburg university, but collaboration with a Hamburg aviation company is a prerequisite. This close cooperation between universities and companies makes a significant contribution to strengthening Hamburg as an aviation centre.

In 2023, the Hamburg Aviation Trainee Award was launched for the first time to recognise the outstanding achievements of trainees who make an important contribution to the development of the industry. This year's prize goes to Martin Hermans from Airbus. The aircraft electronics technician completed his apprenticeship with top marks, which led to his transfer to the A350 equipment assembly department. He also impressed the jury with his numerous projects, such as the construction of an e-test facility and support for robot automation, which significantly increase efficiency and quality in the company. His employer praised him as an exceptional role model for his social commitment - from youth representation to the Pride@Airbus truck and tutoring for colleagues.

The winners of the Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award in the Bachelor's, Master's and Sustainable Aviation categories can look forward to prize money of 1,500 euros each, while the trainee prize is also endowed with 1,500 euros. The Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award was presented with the support of the sponsors Airbus, HECAS, Hanse Aerospace, Krüger Aviation, Lufthansa Technik, Treo - Laboratory for Environmental Simulations and Vartan Aero. Krüger Aviation is also once again sponsoring all the trophies for the winners of the Young Talent Award.
 

The winners of the Young Talent Award are chosen by an independent jury from the Hamburg aviation community:  
Dr Anna Bauch, Airbus Operations GmbH Hamburg, Jan Eike Blohme-Hardegen, Hamburg Airport, Hans-Bernd Aringhoff, Lufthansa Technik AG, Prof. Dr Kay Kochan, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Dr.-Ing. Florian Linke, German Aerospace Centre e.V., Lars Meyer, Treo - Labor für Umweltsimulation GmbH, Prof. Dr Thorsten Schüppstuhl, TUHH Hamburg University of Technology and Prof. Dr Robert Weidner, University of Innsbruck/Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg.

‘The Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award 2024 is a decisive step towards the future of aviation,’ says Dr Florian Linke, Acting Director of the DLR Institute of Air Transport in Hamburg and Hamburg Aviation Young Talent Award jury member. ‘At a time when the industry is facing the enormous challenge of becoming CO2-neutral, it is all the more important to promote young talents who are setting the course for a climate-friendly future with innovative and sustainable solutions. The award-winning theses and projects show that the next generation is already working with passion and creativity on the aviation of tomorrow. By supporting these future shapers, we are not only contributing to the further development of the aviation industry, but also ensuring the competitiveness of Hamburg as an aviation centre in the global context of sustainable mobility.’