The paint specialist Peter-Lacke approached the University of Paderborn with the idea of developing a paint modelled on nature. The company is well-known for the fact that it takes market needs seriously and determinedly researches into solutions. The vision of Jens Kröger (Technical Director of Peter-Lacke GmbH) was to develop a paint with lotus flower effect for automobile wheel rims and hub caps. "It's necessary to go deep into science when researching into and testing a paint of this type", Kröger explains.
The challenge was taken up by the paint expert Björn Weber from the University of Paderborn. The chemist, who is just 31 years old, also made use of the knowledge he had gained for his dissertation to obtain his Bachelor of Science degree.
In the opinion of the jury, the partnership between research and science functioned perfectly, particularly so as the paint with lotus effect has now reached series production status. No less a company than Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg has tested and advocated the use of the paint. The University of Paderborn and Peter-Lacke GmbH succeeded against 33 competitors and won the OWL Transfer Prize, which was handed over by the Managing Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Thomas Niehoff.
The OWL Transfer Prize was awarded for the third time, and is organized by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Eastern Westphalia in Bielefeld, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Detmold, the Chamber of Handicrafts of Eastern Westphalia-Lippe in Bielefeld, the OWL employment initiative and the "Standortsicherung" foundation of the District of Lippe.