ESAFORM Prizes

Since its creation, the Association had the idea of awarding research work from young scientists. During the 2nd ESAFORM Conference, in 1999, the ESAFORM Scientific Prize was launched. In 2004, the ESAFORM Industrial Prize was launched. In 2012 this prize was substituted by the ESAFORM PhD Prize for Industrial Research, which was renamed in 2021 the ESAFORM Lionel Fourment – PhD Prize for Industrial Research in memory of Prof Lionel Fourmant. 

The ESAFORM Scientific Prize

The ESAFORM Scientific Prize is awarded annually. The prize is 3000 Euros. It intends to recognize a young scientist, who has brought an outstanding contribution in the field of materials forming. This contribution may be either theoretical, or experimental, or both. It may concern any kind of materials (metals, polymers, composites, ceramics, glass, concrete, food materials…) and any forming process (rolling, forging, sheet forming, casting, machining, extrusion, injection moulding, blow moulding…). The excellence of the candidate will be evaluated on following points :

  • Quality of the scientific work confirmed by publications
  • International networking
  • Leadership of a research team
  • Research not only focused on a single topic
  • Balanced activities: academic work, research projects

The scientists awarded are the following:

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Scientific Prize winners
  • 2025 – No scientific prize was awarded this year
  • 2024 – No scientific prize was awarded this year
  • 2023 – Dr. Paola Ginestra, University of Brescia, Italy
  • 2022 – Dr. Cedric Courbon, National School of Engineers of Saint-Etienne (ENISE), France
  • 2021 – No scientific prize was awarded this year
  • 2020 – Prof. Junhe Lian, Aalto University, Finland
  • 2019 – Prof. Benjamin Klusemann, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany
  • 2018 – Dr. Antonello Astarita, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy
  • 2017 – No scientific prize was awarded this year
  • 2016 – Prof. Swantje Bargmann, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany
  • 2015 – Dr. Lukasz Madej, University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
  • 2014 – Dr. Tuncay Yalçinkaya, Oxford University, UK
  • 2013 – Dr. Gianluca Buffa, University of Palermo, Italy
  • 2012 – No scientific prize was awarded this year
  • 2011 – Ricardo Sousa, University of Aveiro, Portugal; and Domenico Umbrello, University of Calabria, Italy
  • 2010 – No scientific prize was awarded this year
  • 2009 – Amine Ammar, University of Grenoble, France
  • 2008 – Laurent Delannay, UC Louvain, Belgium
  • 2007 – Luigino Filice, University of Calabria, Italy
  • 2006 – Elias Cueto, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Jose Luis de Carvalho Martins Alves, University of Minho, Portugal
  • 2005 – Dr. Pierre-Olivier Bouchard, CEMEF, France
  • 2004 – Thierry Barrière, University of Franche Comté, France
  • 2003 – Andrew Long, University of Nottingham, UK
  • 2002 – Eduardo Car, CIMNE, Spain
  • 2001 – Rui L. Reis, University of Minho, Portugal; André Luciani, Péchiney, France, 2nd prize
  • 2000 – Francisco Chinesta, CNAM, France; Jean-Marie Drezet, EPFL, Switzerland, 2nd prize
  • 1999 – Luis Filipe Menezes, University of Coimbra, Portugal

In 2013, after the Scientific Prize, the following scientists have been awarded with the jury’s special prize:

  • António Andrade Campos, University of Aveiro, Portugal
  • Marc Bernacki, Mines ParisTech, France
  • Ivaylo Vladimirov, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
How to apply

The ESAFORM “Lionel Fourment – PhD Prize for Industrial Research”

Starting from 2021, the former ESAFORM PhD Prize for Industrial Research has been redefined as “Lionel Fourment – PhD Prize for Industrial Research” in memory of Prof Lionel Fourmant. The award is awarded annually. The prize is 3000 Euros. It intends to distinguish a PhD researcher, who has brought an outstanding contribution in the field of industrial material forming. Based on a sound scientific fundament, the work should demonstrate a clear industrial relevance supported by actual application of the work. The contribution may lead to a (potential) innovation in design, control or performance of industrial materials processing. It may concern any kind of material (metal, polymer, composite, ceramic, glass, concrete, food etc.) and any forming process (rolling, forging, sheet forming, casting, machining, extrusion, injection moulding, blow moulding etc.).

The applicant must have finished a PhD research project related to material forming and the application for this prize should follow within 2 years of the approval of the PhD thesis. The research should show clear industrial application, evidenced by cooperation with an industrial partner.

The ESAFORM PhD Prize for Industrial Research

Starting from 2012 the ESAFORM PhD prize for industrial research replaces the ESAFORM Industrial Prize. The scientists awarded within the last years are the following:

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PhD Prize for Industrial Research winners
  • 2025 – Dr. Bastian Schafer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
  • 2024 – no PhD prize was awarded this year
  • 2023 – Dr. Clemens Zimmerling, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
  • 2022 – Dr. Christian Poppe, SIMUTENCE / Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
  • 2021 – Dr. Dominik Doerr, SIMUTENCE / Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
  • 2020 – Dr. Jenny Venema, Tata Steel Europe / University of Twente, The Netherlands
  • 2019 – Dr. David Harsch, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2018 – no PhD prize was awarded this year
  • 2017 – Dr. Farbod Nosrat Nezami, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
  • 2016 – Dr. Johannes Zimmer, Saarland University, Saarbrucken, Germany
  • 2015 – Dr. Ismet Baran, University of Twente, The Netherlands
  • 2014 – Dr. Wouter Grouve, University of Twente, The Netherlands
  • 2013 – Dr. Cédric Courbon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France, Dr. Muhamad Niazi, University of Twente, The Netherlands
  • 2012 – Dr. Sylvain Bel, INSA de Lyon (France), Dr. Dirk Lukaszewicz, University of Bristol (UK)

The ESAFORM Industrial Prize

The Esaform Industrial Prize has been annually awarded until 2009, being replaced from 2012 by the ESAFORM PhD Prize for Industrial Research. The scientists awarded within the past years are the following :

  • 2009 – François Dumont, Marco Göttinger, Christian Weimer, Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH, Ottobrunn, Germany
  • 2007 – Sebastien Boers, Spin-off Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
  • 2006 – Lucia Garcia Aranda, Tommaso Dal Negro, Audrey Marty and Hatem Khanfir, Renault Ingenerie Process and Prototypes, France
  • 2005 – David SILAGY, Johann LAFFARGUE and Damien RAULINE, ARKEMA, France
  • 2004 – Martin Rohleder, Tim Lemke, Klaus Wiegand from Daimler-Chrysler, Germany
How to apply?

The ESAFORM Best Communication Award

Since 2020 ESFORM rewards the “Best communication award” during each conference for papers and presentations at the annual ESAFORM conference. The aim of this award is to promote research activities in material forming and young researchers, engaged in a PhD activity, to help them gain European/international recognition. Each person presenting a paper at the corresponding conference that has not received a PhD by the time of the conference is eligible. The prize is a certificate, with a publication of the graphical abstract on the ESAFORM website and some financial support, ranging respectively from 1000/600/400 € for gold/silver/bronze winners. Deadline for applications is Feb 28 in the same year of the ESAFORM conference. 

The winners for each of the previous years can be found here: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.

How to apply?