Last week, St. Pölten became a vibrant stage for creativity and collaboration during USTP – University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten's International Week, bringing together partners, students, and innovators from across Europe. The program was full of inspiring moments: World Café with international partners, networking dinners with political speeches and guests from the government, and interactive student events, but the spotlight belonged to the E³UDRES² Awards.
For the first time, E³UDRES² introduced dedicated award categories across multiple ceremonies, making its presence felt everywhere and setting new standards for recognition within our network. It’s time to see the categories and honor our winners!
E³UDRES² Award for Female Entrepreneurship
The first E³UDRES² Award for Female Entrepreneurship, open to all E³UDRES² institutions and beyond, attracted more than 20 applications. As part of the USTP International Week, the award was presented during the event “Future Skills for Entrepreneurship and Innovation”. This milestone celebrated visionary women shaping the future and introduced monetized prizes, underlining the value of entrepreneurial courage and creativity.
The ceremony was enriched by a Future Skills Workshop and inspiring international keynote speakers, offering fresh perspectives on innovation and leadership. By recognizing outstanding female entrepreneurs and showcasing role models from diverse backgrounds, the award highlighted the importance of inclusion and creativity in entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Winners:
🥇1st Prize: Project: “All aBoard: Skateboarding für alle möglich machen „ExoSkate“ (All aBoard: Making Skateboarding Possible for Everyone) | Ana Rita Santos & Filipa Bento
A structure that allows people with physical and cognitive impairments to stand on a skateboard and be accompanied by specialized technicians and/or skaters. Designed to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for individuals with paraplegia, tetraplegia, cerebral palsy, and other mobility challenges.
🥈2nd Prize: Project: OilRight | Roxana Damaschin-Țecu
An inclusive social enterprise in the circular economy that transforms used cooking oil into eco-friendly scented candles and raw materials for biodiesel, while creating meaningful jobs for people with disabilities.
🥉3rd Prize: Project: LOCI Design KG | Christina Liess
A recyclable play furniture set for children, consisting of three basic elements: a beechwood construction frame, connecting elements, and a wide selection of play and learning panels with different content.
The expert jury consisted of Daniela De Angeli (Joint-Master program GRACE – USTP), Sofie Quaranta (Innovation Management, Vienna International Airport), Sophie Egger (tecnet equity Lower Austria), and Vera de Ruiter (Saxion University of Applied Sciences).
Golden Wire Award
Golden Wire, the media prize of the USTP, enables students and alumni of the Media Technology and Digital Media Technologies degree programs to present their ideas and commitment to the public. For the first time this year, it featured a specific E³UDRES² category, which was honoring projects with a distinctive European spirit. For this category, all 60+ submissions across all categories were eligible. The E³UDRES² jury, consisting of Klaas Vansteenhuyse (E³UDRES² Director for Learning), Ramona Mauthner (Visual Design & Communications Manager for E³UDRES² at USTP) and Leopold Kögler-Vencour (Section Head International Relations at the Service and Competence Center for Higher Education Development and Quality Management of USTP), carefully reviewed all entries and awarded points to their top three submissions. The impressive projects demonstrated how technology, art, and societal topics can be woven together to create meaningful and touching audiovisual experiences.
Winners:
🥇1st Prize: "Wir Schwenkten Keine Fahnen" (We didn't wave flags) | Team: Tanja Ploner, Helene Sorger, Johannes Arnold, Daniela Diesner, Marlene Haberl, Magdalena Seibert
A short film project based in Tyrol, Austria, exploring themes of guilt and personal responsibility during the National Socialist era. The film aims to foster historical reflection and public dialogue by artistically engaging with Austria’s Nazi past and its ongoing societal implications. Developed by a team of young, professional filmmakers working voluntarily, the project merges creative storytelling with civic commitment. Filming took place at various locations throughout Tyrol, and the completed film was submitted to national and international festivals.
🥈2nd Prize: "Lebenslieder" (Songs about Life) | Team: Markus Wiesinger, Ngoc Nguyen, Gregor Baumschlager, Ludwig Merza
Music has an effect on all of us. For elderly people, especially the ones with dementia, music may be the only thing they respond to. This documentary follows Eva Wannerer throughout her workday, singing with elderly patients of a nursing home.
🥉3rd Prize: "Gemeinde Österreich" (Municipality of Austria) | Team: Nico Brandstetter
Exploring Austria's hidden corners – "Gemeinde Österreich" (Municipality Austria) is an entertaining TV show in which the presenter visits small communities and uncovers their unique features. Off the beaten tourist track, she discovers regional hotspots, quirky stories, and endearing characters who make up the heart of each community. Whether it's a curious local history museum, a legendary chicken coop, or a cider baroness with a story to tell – each episode shows that even the smallest community holds a big piece of Austria within it. Charming, humorous, and with an eye for the extraordinary, the pilot episode of "Gemeinde Österreich" tells the story of the country and its people in a way rarely seen on television.
Gender & Diversity Award 2025
Once again this year, scientific final theses with a focus on gender and/or diversity topics were honored with the Gender & Diversity Awards 2025. Inclusivity always matters, and this year, the award in St. Pölten included, as in previous years, a special E³UDRES² category for a final thesis written at a partner institution within the E³UDRES² network. This category recognizes efforts that make higher education more equitable and diverse.
The winner from Fulda University of Applied Sciences shared an inspiring vision for inclusion, supported by a prize of €500. The ceremony also marked the official start of E³UDRES²’ participation in the Orange the World campaign, standing against violence against women and promoting equality.
🎖️Winner: Thesis: “Political participation of trans persons. Empowerment possibilities of Social Work with adolescents and young adults” (Politische Partizipation von Transpersonen. Fördermöglichkeiten der Sozialen Arbeit in der Arbeit mit Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen) | Lilly-Marie Arand
A specialist jury made a preselection of the best submissions and then assessed the finalists’ pitches. Jury members: Christina Egger and Lisa David (USTP, Service and Competence Center LEARN), Luna Moser (Media Technology student representative), Kerstin Blumenstein (Lecturer, Media and Digital Technologies), Irmgard Wetzstein (Academic Director, Digital Business and Innovation), and Marlene Hock (Head of Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit, Austrian Science Fund – FWF).
Awards beyond the USTP International Week
Next to the various E³UDRES² Award Ceremonies, USTP and specifically the Master’s programme GRACE won 🥉3rd place in the Internationalisation Award, given away by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education (BMBWF) and OeAD, and presented by Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner, for its innovative curriculum.
For the first time, the BMBWF and OeAD presented this award to honor outstanding examples of implementing the National Higher Education Mobility and Internationalisation Strategy 2030. Our joint Master’s degree programme, developed within the E³UDRES² University Alliance, was honored in the category “Measures for the Internationalisation of the Curriculum – Internationalisation of Studies and Teaching.”
The competition attracted 103 submissions from 38 Austrian higher education institutions, with winners selected in four thematic categories. Each first-place project received €2,500, while second and third places were recognized with certificates.
Celebrating 5 Years of E³UDRES²
The International Week in St. Pölten was not only about awards and recognition, as the event featured also a celebration of five years of E³UDRES², marking a journey of collaboration, innovation, and shared vision across Europe. As Hannes Raffaseder, Managing Director of USTP and President of the Alliance, emphasized:
“The success story of E³UDRES² clearly demonstrates the impact that regionally anchored universities can have when they network across Europe. The combination of regional roots and Europe-wide cooperation generates sustainable benefits – for students, staff, and the regions of Europe.”
By introducing E³UDRES² categories across these awards, we are reinforcing our commitment to innovation, diversity, and collaboration within the network. These recognitions represent important milestones, highlighting the creativity and dedication of our community while encouraging continued engagement and future-oriented development.
Congratulations to all winners and nominees for their outstanding contributions — and here’s to shaping the next chapter of E³UDRES² together!
