Alzchem employee Michael Hilger receives Bavarian Culture Prize 2024
On November 14, the focus was on art and science: Bayernwerk AG and the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Culture presented the Bavarian Culture Prize 2024. Among the honored personalities is Michael Hilger, Head of Collaboration and Digitization at Alzchem.
Award-winningmaster's thesis on resource optimization with artificial intelligence
Michael Hilger was honored for his outstanding master's thesis in business informatics at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology. In his work, Hilger addresses the three-dimensional bin packing problem (3D-BPP), which describes the challenge of arranging objects of different sizes and shapes in a limited space in a way that saves space. To do this, he relies on reinforcement learning, a form of machine learning in which a virtual “agent” learns and improves optimal packing strategies through feedback from the environment. The master's thesis not only explains the theoretical approach, but also the practical implementation of the algorithms.
“Thanks to the algorithms developed in my work, artificial intelligence can efficiently stow several objects in as few containers as possible, thus avoiding unnecessary waste of resources,” explains Michael Hilger.
Professional career and commitment to Alzchem
Michael Hilger has been part of the Alzchem team since 2010. After completing his training as an IT system electronics technician, he decided to study business informatics at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology while working. Today, he heads the IT department for collaboration and digitization and drives the development of innovative solutions and the use of artificial intelligence at Alzchem.
Bavarian Culture Prize – in recognition of art, culture and science
The Bavarian Culture Prize honors outstanding achievements in art and science. It is awarded to artists for their artistic work and to graduates of Bavarian universities and universities of applied sciences. The aim of the prize is to promote cultural diversity in Bavaria and to create a platform for creative and scientific achievements.
This year's award ceremony took place at the Showpalast in Munich, where a total of 39 personalities were honored for their achievements in enriching the Bavarian arts and cultural landscape.
For more information, please visit www.bayernwerk-live.de/kulturpreis-bayern
Contact
Sabine Sieber
Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Alzchem Group AG
Dr.-Albert-Frank-Str. 32
83308 Trostberg
Germany
About Alzchem
Alzchem is a globally active specialty chemicals company that is one of the market leaders in most of its fields of activity. Alzchem offers answers to various global developments such as climate change, population growth and increasing life expectancy. We deliver solutions through brands and products of the highest quality and through a sustainable vision to help shape global developments.
The company sees interesting growth prospects for itself in the areas of human and animal nutrition and agriculture in particular. As a result of population growth, it is necessary to achieve efficient food production. Pharmaceutical raw materials and creatine products can contribute to a healthy old age as life expectancy increases. Alzchem is facing up to the goal of sustainability arising from climate change in the field of renewable energies and across the entire company. The fields of fine chemicals and metallurgy offer just as great a perspective.
Alzchem Group AG’s broad product range includes dietary supplements, precursors for PCR tests and pharmaceutical raw materials. These offerings are the company’s response to global trends and developments. Alzchem is ideally positioned in this respect and considers itself well prepared for an environmental future and global developments.
The company employs around 1,690 people at four production sites in Germany and a plant in Sweden, as well as three sales companies in the USA, China and England. Alzchem generated Group sales of EUR 540.6 million and EBITDA of EUR 81.4 million in 2023.