The Net-Zero Industries Award recognises innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and highlights projects and individuals who make a significant contribution to the transformation of energy-intensive industries. In 2024, this prestigious award was presented to Sophie Knöttner and Tara Esterl from the AIT Center for Energy in two categories.

Sophie Knöttner, Research Engineer at AIT, was honoured in the category “Young Talent”. Since 2017, she has been working on improving the efficiency of industrial processes and systems and developing long-term development paths for the Austrian manufacturing sector. Her focus is on the digitalisation and decarbonisation of industry and on adapting this sector to the transformation of the energy sector.

Tara Esterl, Head of the AIT Competence Unit “Integrated Energy Systems”, received the award in the category “Female Innovator”. She is responsible for the strategic development of her research area and heads the NEFI_I4RD project, which deals with innovative solutions for making the electricity market more flexible and decarbonising industrial processes.

With their work, both award winners are making an essential contribution to the sustainable transformation of industry and demonstrating how research and development can achieve significant progress towards a climate-neutral future.