Hans Martin Prize 2025 awarded for innovative work in the field of occupational science

Today, on November 28th, three works in the field of ergonomics were awarded the Hans Martin Prize, including two from the University of Kassel. The prize is awarded for proven work in the field of occupational science or for planned research or development projects that contribute to improving people's everyday working lives. This year, Prof. Dr. Oliver Sträter (University of Kassel) presented the award at a joint event organized by the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas, the Hessian Ministry of Labour, Integration, Youth and Social Affairs and the Kassel Region Transformation Network.

Sabine Schaub (University of Kassel) received the main prize for her master's thesis "On the way to a climate-positive municipality - success factors and conditions for success in municipal transformation processes" in the Coaching, Organizational Consulting, Supervision degree programme. In it, Schaub deals with the decisive psychological factors for an effective transformation. She shows that transformation is only successful if psychological factors are systematically taken into account. She received prize money of 2,500 euros.

Viktoria Mordaschew (Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences) received one of two project prizes with prize money of 1,250 euros for her project proposal "GAIN-Pro, Inclusive Gamification and Adaptive Workplace Design for Intelligent Production Systems".

On behalf of an international consortium, Dr. Johannes Pfleging (University of Kassel) accepted the second project prize for the application "Prehistoric Motion Capture: from ethnographic studies to ergonomics". The project uses motion capture systems to investigate early tool use in order to understand kinematic and dynamic influences on handling and wear. The expected findings should answer archaeological questions about the Stone Age as well as provide design information for modern tools.

State Secretary Manuela Strube from the Hessian Ministry of Labor, Integration, Youth and Social Affairs opened the award ceremony with a welcoming address: "It is not only people who have to adapt to the changing nature of work, work also has to adapt to people. Modern, innovative and humane work systems are an important building block for this. And this is what the Hans Martin Prize focuses on: The aim is to recognize research that promotes the humane design of work and helps to ensure that workplaces are healthy, safe and efficient," emphasized Strube. "Because job satisfaction and productivity, as well as successfully securing skilled workers and the workforce, are directly linked to good workplace design, which is therefore also of great importance to us as a state government."

The Hans Martin Prize is awarded every two years by the Cooperation Center for Science and the World of Work at the University of Kassel and, at 5,000 euros, is the most highly endowed prize in the field of ergonomics in Germany. It honors the work of young scientists who develop innovative solutions to problems of working life and thus contribute to humane work.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Oliver Sträter
University of Kassel
Department of Work and Organizational Psychology
Tel: 0561 804 4210
Email: straeter[at]uni-kassel[dot]de