Extrusion International 2-2018

31 Extrusion International 2/2018 Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV) in Industrie und Handwerk a.d. RWTH Aachen Seffenter Weg 201, 52074 Aachen, Germany www.ikv-aachen.de Interessengemeinschaft innovativer Aachener Unternehmen der Kunststoffbranche e.V. (INTRA) www.intra-aachen.de port the courageous sense of entrepreneurship that is always behind a spin-off. INTRA pools the high concentration of know-how and creates synergies as a result. This strengthens not only the region but also each individual company. The INTRA companies operate in the following fields: consulting, design, measuring technology, software, PR services, re- search and development, materials technology, pro- duction and quality assurance. The Georg-Menges prize 2018 especially honours this start-up culture and the support of young companies by INTRA. The laudatory speech was given by the Rec- tor of RWTH Aachen University, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ernst Schmachtenberg. On behalf of INTRA, Dr.- Ing. Erwin Baur, Managing Director of M-Base Engineering+Software GmbH and a member of the Board of INTRA, accepted the prize. In his laudatory speech, Professor Schmachtenberg emphasised that, through investment in research and teaching, financial value is again generated if companies are founded on the basis of this research. He is convinced that „innovation is only innovation if you can earn money with it.“ On behalf of all the member companies, Dr.-Ing. Erwin Baur thanked the jury, the Association of Sponsors and Professor Schmachtenberg for the award. He said he was also personally delighted that INTRA had been given so much publicity through the award of the Georg-Menges prize. After all, it was from Professor Menges that he had „learned everything about plastics.“ He added: „The idea of founding a company from IKV is the most effective form of technology transfer.“