ZwickRoell Science Award
For more than ten years, the ZwickRoell Science Award has honored current, outstanding science projects that make a valuable contribution to broadening the understanding of materials testing in various scientific disciplines. Through interaction and discussions with scientists we are continuously gaining valuable insights into where research progress is currently being made within the field of materials and components testing. Even we are continuously surprised to find new ways in which materials testing machines are being used. These insights help us to provide better solutions for our customers.
Frequently asked questions about the ZwickRoell Science Award
The first author of a scientific paper (regardless of whether he or she is still working at a university or a research institute). You are either currently working on your doctoral thesis or you received your doctorate no more than 10 years ago.
You may submit an accepted, peer-reviewed paper published in an international scientific journal. You may submit additional documents to support your submitted work.
The journal essay and a brief autobiography.
No, the manufacturer of the machine does not matter.
The year of publication must be 2023, 2024 or 2025.
A panel of judges (ZwickRoell Expert Committee and three internationally recognized professors) will determine the winner.
First place for developing a time-saving test methodology for evaluating mode I fatigue delamination in carbon fiber reinforced plastics
First place in the "ZwickRoell Science Award" (prize: 5,000 euros) was awarded this year to Dr. Sergi Parareda Oriol from Eurecat - Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya in Spain. He developed a quick test method for evaluating mode I fatigue delamination in carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). The method delivers precise results with fewer specimens and a significantly reduced test duration. The award ceremony was held during the ZwickRoell testXpo 2025, the International Expo for Materials Testing (October 13-16) in Ulm-Einsingen.
Dr. Sergi Parareda Oriol from Eurecat - Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya in Spain impressed the judges this year and won first place (5,000 euros) in the international "ZwickRoell Science Award." He developed a quick test method for evaluating mode I fatigue delamination in carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). The methodology developed by Dr. Parareda Oriol allows for the determination of important parameters, such as fracture toughness, beginning of cracking, crack threshold, and crack propagation behavior, using fewer specimens and in a significantly shorter time than conventional methods. The results show a deviation of less than 10 percent compared to the ASTM D6115 standardized method. The test method developed by Dr. Parareda Oriol is therefore a promising alternative for quickly assessing the fatigue strength of composite materials. The Double Cantilever Beam Test (DCB) is particularly relevant for composite structures in the aerospace industry and is conducted as both a static and a fatigue test. The publication “A rapid testing method for assessing mode I fatigue delamination of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer,” which received the “ZwickRoell Science Award 2024,” has been published in the International Journal of Fatigue 187 (2024).
Universities and research institutes are important customers and partners for ZwickRoell, for whom we develop customized solutions. Every year, the award ceremony brings together the fields of science and industry and promotes an exciting exchange of ideas. This is one of the reasons why it always creates a special atmosphere and helps us to develop new, practical solutions in collaboration with our customers.
Christine Dübler, Board Member for Sales and Service at ZwickRoell
Researchers from 23 countries participate
This year's winners presented their award-winning publications in the form of short presentations during testXpo 2025, on October 15, on the ZwickRoell company campus in Ulm-Einsingen, Germany. A total of 92 scientists from 23 countries submitted their work from various areas of materials testing this year. The research award, sponsored by testing machine manufacturer ZwickRoell, now in its 15th year, recognizes outstanding scientific work that significantly contributes to expanding our understanding of mechanical testing across various scientific disciplines.
The other 2024 award winners
- Second place (2,000 euros): Dr. Renato Almeida, University of Bremen for his publication “Identifying damage mechanisms of composites by acoustic emission and supervised machine learning” in Materials & Design 227 (2023)
- Third place (1,000 euros): Dr. Christoph Hartmann of the Technical University of Munich for his publication “Straightforward identification of flow curve and yield locus parameters from three-point bending experiments” in the International Journal of Material Forming (2024).
Winner of the 2023 Science Award
The winners presented their projects in the form of short presentations during testXpo, from October 21-24, 2024, on the ZwickRoell company campus in Ulm-Einsingen, Germany. More than 160 scientists from 35 countries submitted their work from various areas of materials testing this year.
- Chongyang Zeng from the University of Siegen won first place (5,000 euros) for his publication, “Specimen geometry design for plasticity and fracture characterization of sheet metal under high testing speed and various stress states,” which appeared in Thin-Walled Structures 186 (2023).
- Second place (2,000 euros) went to Dr. Akshat Agha of FADI-AMT LLC, USA, for his publication “A method for measuring in-plane forming limit curves using 2D digital image correlation” in SAE International Journal of Material Manufacturing, Volume 16, Issue 3 (2023).
- Third place (1,000 euros) went to Dr. Carolina Furtado of the University of Porto in Portugal for her publication “Combined Bearing/Pull-Through Failure Envelope of Composite Joints: Experimental Setup and Numerical Validation“ in Composites: Part A Volume 175 (2023)
Photo gallery of presentation of the ZwickRoell Science Award
Science Award 2018
Science Award 2017
Science Award 2016
Science Award 2015
Science Award 2014
Science Award 2013
Science Award 2012
Science Award 2021
