Georg Steinbichler rewarded for services to plastics technology in Austria

The award was made at a celebratory presentation evening on the premises of the ÖGV Austrian Industry Association at Palais Eschenbach in Vienna.

“Georg Steinbichler is a globally recognised expert in injection moulding technology. His name has not only been associated with numerous technical and scientific innovations, he also set up the faculty of Polymer Engineering Technologies at Johannes Kepler University in Linz. Having dedicated his life’s work to injection moulding technology, he is a worthy winner of the VÖK gold badge of honour,” declared Professor Walter Friesenbichler in his laudation. Professor Friesenbichler, head of the chair of injection moulding of polymers at the University of Leoben, has worked with the prizewinner for more than 30 years.

After studying plastics engineering at Leoben, Georg Steinbichler embarked on his career in 1982 as an application engineer at injection moulding machine manufacturer ENGEL. He was soon given responsibility for process and technology development. In 2008, he completed his doctoral thesis on "Methods and processes for optimizing component development for Injection Molding” at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany.

With the introduction of the polymer engineering technologies discipline at Johannes Kepler University in Linz in 2009, Steinbichler was appointed chairman of the Institute of Polymer Injection Moulding and Process Automation alongside his role at ENGEL. Since then, he has played a major role in expanding the range of university-level education for plastics engineers in Austria while strengthening university-based research in the field of plastics technology. The most recent milestone was the establishment of LIT Factory in Linz, a research factory for the production of thermoplastic lightweight composites and the digitalisation of plastics processing procedures.

Even before his appointment at the University of Linz, Georg Steinbichler was committed to education. He taught at the TGM in Vienna and lectured at technical academies in Esslingen/Stuttgart in Germany as well as Sarnen in Switzerland.

Since 1971, the VÖK has honoured personalities in the spheres of industry, business, science and public life who have made outstanding contributions to the development of plastics technology in Austria. Irene and Georg Schwarz and Dr. Peter Neumann of ENGEL also received the VÖK gold badge of honour prior to Professor Georg Steinbichler.

Prizewinner Professor Georg Steinbichler (2nd left) with Senator Ernst Pöcksteiner, Chairman and Honorary President of the VÖK, VÖK President Dr. Michael Pöcksteiner and Professor Walter Friesenbichler, who presented the award (left to right).