On 12 February the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) awarded the Hans Messer Prize 2008 to two graduates of the Frankfurt am Main University of Applied Sciences (FH FFM). They received this prize in recognition of their excellent research projects and exam results. The award brings with it EUR 2,000 in prize money.

Sigrun Safdari (Faculty 2: IT and Engineering) focused in her thesis on an "Examination of the E-polishing process, concentrating particularly on achieving the maximum sharpness of a surgical instrument". This work was carried out for a company and was praised by her supervisor, Professor Hannelore Reichardt, as being very hands-on and application-orientated. She was impressed by the exceptional dedication which Safdari demonstrated in solving this challenging task. "The thesis supplied informative results that can be used immediately in the company that was studied," stated the commendation.

Esther Dorothee Atwell (Faculty 3: Economics and Law) wrote her thesis on "The effects of the MoMiG on creditor protection and maintenance of capital". MoMiG is the abbreviation for the "Law for modernising the GmbH (public limited company) act and for fighting abuse". Atwell succeeded in examining the topic not only from the legal but also from the economic viewpoint, stated the FH FFM. Professor Andrea Ruppert, Vice-President of the FH FFM and the supervisory professor, paid tribute to the thesis as "useful for practical applications".

The prize is awarded each year in honour of the long-standing IHK President Dr. Hans Messer. The presentation ceremony took place in the context of the 11th Hans Messer Lecture. The lecture was given by Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chair of the Board of Management of the German Aerospace Centre in Cologne: "Strategies and perspectives of the German and European aerospace industry".