This year, two personalities were again honored – in the categories 'Research and Development' and 'Industry'. The award is given every three years by Carl Hanser Verlag and the VDWF to individuals in plastics technology who build bridges between science, industry, and society through extraordinary achievements.
The Award Winners
Dr. Natalie Rudolph was awarded in the Industry category. The textile and plastics engineer has an impressive international career, with positions at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, a junior professorship in the USA, and leadership roles in the industry. At Arevo in California, she was responsible as Vice President for Research and Development for work on new technologies. Since 2020, Natalie Rudolph has been the Business Field Manager for Polymer at Netzsch in Selb. Her expertise includes additive manufacturing, high-performance composites, and plastics recycling – a topic she has shaped both scientifically and journalistically, including with her globally recognized book Understanding Plastics Recycling (Hanser Verlag). Rudolph combines technical competence with energy, humor, and human warmth. She is regarded as a bridge builder between research and practice, between Europe and the USA, and also as a role model for women in the plastics industry.
Prof. Dr. Christian Hopmann received the award in the category of Research and Development. The head of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen is considered a passionate plastics engineer who enjoys high recognition in both science and industry. His career path leads him from his doctorate at RWTH Aachen through senior positions in the industry back to the university, where he has been a professor and institute director since 2011. Christian Hopmann is responsible for numerous research projects here – including those on digitalization, lightweight construction, and circular economy – and has set standards with the establishment of the Plastics Innovation Center 4.0. He is active in numerous national and international committees, including the VDI, DFG, and various excellence clusters. In addition to his scientific excellence, Hopmann is sought after as a mentor, networker, and author – significantly contributing to the advancement of plastics technology in research and teaching.
The Trophies
The Escales Trophy is based on a work by the Italian artist Lady Be, depicting the namesake of the award. Richard Escales founded the specialist magazine 'Kunststoffe' in 1910. The mosaic made of plastic parts has been reproduced as an award since 2019 using additive manufacturing.
The Dr. Richard Escales Award
The award is a media prize given every three years for outstanding achievements in the communication of plastics technology expertise. The namesake Richard Escales (1863 – 1924) was a chemist, author, and founder of the magazine 'Kunststoffe'.
The previous award winners of the award, which has been presented since 1998, are Dr. Erwin Bürkle (1998), Prof. Dr. Tim Osswald (2001), Dr. Erwin Baur (2004), Prof. Dr. Christian Bonten (2007), Prof. Dr. Georg Steinbichler (2010), Prof. Dr. Erich Wintermantel (2013), Prof. Dr. Sonja Pongratz (2016), Prof. Dr. Andreas Gebhardt (2019), Prof. Dr. Thomas Seul and Kurt Gebert (2022). The festive presentation of the Dr. Richard Escales Award was also jointly organized by Carl Hanser Verlag and the VDWF in 2025. 'Kunststoffe' Editor-in-Chief Susanne Schröder and VDWF President Prof. Dr. Thomas Seul hosted the evening and welcomed more than 200 guests from the plastics industry.
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