Off-road engine manufacturer Deutz has presented Professor Wan Gang with the Nicolaus August Otto Award that recognises visionaries and promotes innovative ideas in the fields of classic and alternative drive technology.
The professor, who has a PhD in engineering, formerly headed up the New Energy Automobile Engineering Center and later became Minister for Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. He was given the award in recognition of his research and other pioneering work, including at Clausthal University of Technology and at Audi. The innovation prize is named for the inventor of the four-stroke engine and founder of the company that would later become Deutz.
This year was the third time that Deutz held its award ceremony at the #neuland congress in Aachen. The event provides a forum for discussion and highlights paths toward an economically and environmentally sustainable future. The commendation speech for the award winner was given by Professor Günther Schuh, scientist, and entrepreneur, who has been working on issues of innovation and technology management for more than 30 years.
Deutz commentes: “Professor Wan Gang is held in high regard in academic, business, and political circles around the world for his pioneering work on electric vehicles and hydrogen technology. He studied experimental mechanics at Tongji University in Shanghai and vehicle drive systems at Clausthal University of Technology in Germany, where he obtained his PhD. After a decade at Audi, during which he held senior roles in research and development, the professor returned to China. Back in his homeland, he was pivotal in establishing the New Energy Automobile Engineering Center at Tongji University, and in doing so laid the foundations for his career in politics.”
