During the last academic ceremony of 2025 on December 19, Daniel Kiener from the Department of Materials Science/Chair of Materials Physics was awarded the Rudolf Streicher Science Prize 2025. This is one of Austria's most prestigious scientific awards. It is intended to recognize outstanding scientific achievements, create incentives for new developments, and promote innovation in the field of montanistic sciences. Professor Kiener was selected as the winner by a high-profile seven-member jury and the board of trustees of the Dr. Rudolf Streicher Private Foundation.
He is internationally regarded as one of the most influential pioneers in the field of micro- and nanomechanics of materials and has established Leoben and Austria on the international scientific map as a center for this research. With exceptional scientific curiosity, methodological expertise, and innovative strength, he has opened up fields of research that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. His unique manufacturing and investigation methods provide insights into unconventional material effects and have led to the discovery of novel mechanical mechanisms—findings that have significantly expanded our understanding of materials across scales.
Daniel Kiener’s achievements thus contribute significantly to the creation of solutions for many of today's global social challenges, such as green energy generation and storage, power electronics for electromobility, medical technology for an aging society, and the sustainable and resource-efficient use of materials.
