Meyer-Galow-Award for Business Chemistry 2025 goes to Andreas Künkel (BASF)

The Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry 2025 was presented in January 2026 at a ceremony held at BASF’s Gesellschaftshaus to Prof. Dr. Andreas Künkel (photo: center) for his work on biodegradable polymers. Congratulations were extended by (photo, from left to right): Willis Muganda (BASF and member of the board of the Division of Chemistry and Business of the German Chemical Society, GDCh), Tom Kinzel (GDCh Managing Director), Prof. Dr. Erhard Meyer-Galow (founder), and Prof. Dr. Stephan von Delft (University of Münster and member of the Meyer-Galow Award jury).

The Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry is a prize that recognises outstanding achievements at the interface between chemistry and the market. It is presented to individuals in German-speaking countries who – alone or as part of a team – have successfully brought a recent chemical innovation to market. The innovation should have a strong link to sustainability and societal relevance. The prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and is awarded by the Meyer-Galow Foundation for Business  Chemistry in the German Chemical Society. Prof. Dr Jens Leker and Prof. Dr Stephan von Delft from the Institute of Business Chemistry at the University of Münster are members of the Advisory Board of the Meyer-Galow Foundation.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Künkel, Vice President and Head of Research on Biodegradation and Microplastics at BASF SE, was honored for his outstanding contributions in the field of biodegradable polymers. His integrative approach, which combines biological and chemical insights with digital methods, enables the targeted and efficient use of such polymers in the most suitable environments. In addition, Professor Künkel has actively disseminated the results of his research within the scientific community and has thus established biodegradable polymers as an important component of sustainable chemistry in the context of the circular economy.