• 03/19/2026
  • Report

EUROGUSS Talent Award: Reality Check in Front of an Expert Audience

Completing a thesis is one thing. Defending it in front of an international audience of foundry experts, mechanical engineers and OEM representatives is another. With the EUROGUSS Talent Award, students experience a unique moment at the transition from university to industry – racing heartbeat included.

Written by Editors EUROGUSS 365

Finalist Elena Mingotti, University of Brescia, at the EUROGUSS Talent Award in January 2026.
Finalist Elena Mingotti, University of Brescia, at the EUROGUSS Talent Award in January 2026

Many scientific papers in die casting focus on simulation, material behaviour, process parameters or sustainability strategies. In laboratories and on computers, models can be developed with great precision. At the trade fair, however, the finalists of the EUROGUSS Talent Award face practitioners who work daily with cycle times, tool wear and quality metrics.

This direct exchange shifts the focus. Suddenly, it is not only about methodological accuracy or a flawless layout, but about feasibility, economic viability and the finalists’ ability to present their ideas clearly.

“I come from Italy, not from Germany, so it meant a lot to me that both German and international participants voted for me,” says Elena Mingotti from the University of Brescia, who placed third in the Talent Award 2026. “At the end of the conference, many people came up to speak with me and ask questions about my work. That made me very proud of my research project.”

 

Research meets production practice

Anyone presenting at the Talent Award must explain their work precisely in a short amount of time – and in English, which may not be their native language. This is not a scientific colloquium, but an industrial setting with clear expectations: What is the topic? What problem does it solve? And what does it mean for real-world production?

Jury of the EUROGUSS Talent Award 2026: (from right to left) Franjo Wöstmann, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Fehlbier, Dirk Lehmhus and Annalisa Pola.
Jury of the EUROGUSS Talent Award 2026 in the front row of the audience: (from right to left) Franjo Wöstmann, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Fehlbier, Dirk Lehmhus and Annalisa Pola

This act of translation – from academic research into the language of industry – is a core skill for professional life later on. “This time we had five students from Germany, Italy and the United States,” says jury member Franjo Wöstmann, CEO of CastCoil GmbH. “And I have never seen students perform at such a high level at any previous Talent Award, both in terms of content and in the quality of their presentations.”

A change of perspective for both sides

“Anyone considering taking part should not think about it twice,” says Selina Freygang, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg/AUDI AG, winner of the EUROGUSS Talent Award in January 2026. “You have nothing to lose and it’s a great opportunity to present your work to a wide audience at a major trade fair.”

The added value is not limited to the participants. Companies also gain insights into ways of thinking that have not yet been fully shaped by industrial routines. New approaches to process optimisation, alternative material concepts and digital evaluation models show how the next generation is tackling technical challenges.

EUROGUSS Talent Award 2026: (from left to right) Christian Hermann, Selina Freygang, Jack Webster, Elena Mingotti, Paul Becker, Gabriel Garcia, Theresa Spangler and Dr Alexander F. Marks.
Group photo at the EUROGUSS Talent Award 2026. Pictured from left to right: Christian Hermann, Selina Freygang, Jack Webster, Elena Mingotti, Paul Becker, Gabriel Garcia, Theresa Spangler and Dr Alexander F. Marks.

“We are seeing developments – for example in body construction, wheel casting and sanitary applications – that are bringing new fields of application into focus,” says Dr.-Ing. Alexander F. Marks, Chief Customer Officer at Oskar Frech GmbH + Co. KG. “That is why we need talented people who are willing to rethink things.”

 

Ideas with production potential

The Talent Award positions itself as a competition with real technical substance. Contributions are evaluated, discussed and placed into context. At the same time, a dialogue emerges between universities and industry, between research and manufacturing, and between experience and new ideas.

“I hope to see exciting ideas that lie outside my everyday work – ideas that could eventually contribute to the further development of our technology,” explains Christian Hermann, Senior Instructor at Bühler Die Casting. “At the same time, I want to introduce young talents to the world of casting – with all the opportunities it offers for their careers.”

As EUROGUSS in January 2026 demonstrated, the die-casting industry is eager to shape the future. It is exploring new possibilities – from HPDC and new alloys to rheocasting and digital process chains. And at the Talent Award, it becomes clear which ideas and which people may have the potential to grow into industrial practice.
 

View across the packed audience to the stage of the EUROGUSS Talent Award 2026.
At the EUROGUSS Talent Award, students present their bachelor's and master's theses on topics related to die casting.

Author

EUROGUSS 365
Editors EUROGUSS 365
euroguss365@nuernbergmesse.de