The Houska Prize award ceremony took place on 21 April at the Museumsquartier in Vienna. JOANNEUM RESEARCH was awarded second prize, worth €70,000, in the ‘Non-university Research’ category. This marks the third consecutive year that a JOANNEUM RESEARCH project has received an award.
With PyzoFlex®, the research team has developed a novel sensor technology that is specifically designed for use on flexible, moving or curved surfaces. The solution thus meets key requirements in fields such as wearables, soft robotics and smart manufacturing.
“This award confirms the relevance of our research for industrial applications and societal challenges. With PyzoFlex® technology, we are demonstrating how material-based innovations enable new measurement concepts. Our aim is to further develop the technology in collaboration with industry partners and transfer it to additional fields of application. The focus is on scalable production processes as well as new areas of application in mobility, medical technology and industrial automation,” said Andreas Tschepp on behalf of the project management team consisting of Martin Zirkl, Gregor Scheipl, Barbara Stadlober and project manager Tschepp.
Heinz Mayer, Managing Director of JOANNEUM RESEARCH: “What a success! PyzoFlex® is a prime example of what drives us – research that finds its way into practical application and delivers real benefits. I am delighted for the dedicated team and would like to thank everyone who has made this success possible.”
PyzoFlex®-Technology
PyzoFlex® is based on a ferroelectric polymer embedded between printed electrodes. The material converts mechanical deformations or temperature changes directly into electrical signals. The sensor layer is just a few micrometres thick, mechanically robust and responds quickly. A key advantage is that it operates without an external power supply: the sensors do not require an external power source to generate signals. At the same time, screen printing allows for cost-effective scaling.
The industry is already demonstrating specific applications: in paper production, PyzoFlex® enables real-time measurements of roll gap forces directly during the production process. This improves process control and resource efficiency.
Contribution to applied research
The Houska Prize is regarded as the most prestigious privately funded award for applied research in Austria. With total prize money of €760,000, it recognises projects with clear economic and societal benefits. The award for PyzoFlex® underscores the importance of materials research for the digitalisation of physical processes. The technology links real-world measurements directly to digital systems, thereby creating new opportunities for data-driven control and optimisation.
