2025 Excellence Award for Banking & ESG Presented

In early March, the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tyrol and Sparkasse Kufstein once again honored outstanding bachelor’s and master’s theses that were assessed with top grades in 2025 at the Kufstein Innovation Hub. The students addressed complex issues in the fields of banking and finance as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics. The topics ranged from feminist web messaging and sustainable travel to the analysis of value-at-risk models.

“The submitted papers cover a wide range of topics and combine scientific methods with clear recommendations for practical application,” emphasizes Klaus Felderer, member of the Executive Board at Sparkasse Kufstein and a member of the jury.

The awards ceremony began in 2022 as the Banking Award and was expanded in 2024 to include the ESG Award in order to address the growing importance of sustainability issues. Since 2025, both categories have been combined under the title Excellence Award Banking & ESG. The goal is to highlight pieces of academic writing with high practical relevance and to showcase innovative research from the degree programs.
 

Since the competition was launched, the expert jury has reviewed over 100 theses and assessed their content based on various criteria. Economic relevance carries the most weight at 50 percent, followed by scientific quality (35 percent) and the degree of innovation (15 percent).

Students whose theses received an excellent or good grade are eligible to participate. In 2025, a total of 37 theses were submitted, including 18 bachelor’s theses and 19 master's theses.
 

2025 AWARD WINNERS AND THE RANGE OF THEIR TOPICS

Based on an assessment of research design, methodology, and contribution to academic discourse, 12 students received special recognition for their innovative research findings in the four categories: Bachelor’s in Banking, Master’s in Banking, Bachelor’s in ESG, and Master’s in ESG.

Bachelor Banking Award

1st Place: Kilian Jean Wintersteller – Analysis of Value-at-Risk Models During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2nd place: Larissa Kus – Regression model for the development of TARGET2 balances

3rd Place: Nikola Botschek – Female Business Succession in Family Businesses

Master Banking Award

1st Place: Finn Dünzer – Development of a Climate Risk KPI for Real Estate Locations

2nd Place: Albin Gashi – The Impact of ESG Criteria on Company Valuations in M&A

3rd Place: Sandra Pirchmoser – Employee Participation in the Digital Transformation of Banks

Bachelor ESG Award

1st Place: Felix Sebastian David – Greening Measures to Reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect in Kufstein

2nd place: Pia Rieder – The Influence of Personal Norms on the Purchase of Organic Food

3rd Place: Tim Maurer – The Importance of ESG Sustainability for Fund Investments

Master ESG Award

1st Place: Emily-Sophie Schrodt – A Comparative Analysis of the Credibility of Feminist Advertising Messages Across Industries

2nd place: Natalie Philomena Höllwarth – Digital messages for sustainable travel in the Alpine region

3rd place: Linda Obkircher – The Impact of Digital Marketing Touchpoints on Sustainable Energy Technologies 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR 2026 IS NOW OPEN

Following the successful conclusion of the 2025 Awards, the next round is already underway: The call for entries for the 2026 Excellence Award in Banking & ESG is now open. Students at Kufstein University of Applied Sciences in Tyrol once again have the opportunity to submit their bachelor’s and master’s theses and present their research to a broad professional audience. All information about the competition and the application process is available online.

Links:

• Excellence Award Banking & ESG | Event series