Förderer received the award in the “Society” category. The emergent professor has already demonstrated his exceptional standing with the ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grant for his research project “Fair Competition in App Markets”, worth 1.5 million euros, which he received last year. Förderer also won the TUM Supervisory Award 2023 for the exemplary support and supervision of his doctoral researchers.

Network of over 1,500 alumni

With the “Top 40 under 40” award, the emerging scientist is in good company: this year’s award winners also include courageous thought leaders like Ali Aslan Gümüşay, who critically questions values in business and society. Outstanding managers like Hasmeet Kaur are also among them – she came to Germany from India and is now driving the transformation of the automotive supplier Mann + Hummel as a member of the board of management. Sergej Epp, Chief Information Security Officer at Palo Alto Networks, is also being honored for his tireless efforts to counter the growing threat of cyber attacks.

The “Top 40 under 40” has been awarded since 2007 and is now considered one of the most prestigious awards for young leaders. The winners form a network of over 1,500 alumni, which is expanded annually through targeted research and recommendations from influential personalities.

Discussion of the pressing issues of our time

On Friday, November 15, the award winners will meet at the “Top 40 under 40” summit in Berlin under the motto: “Take a deep breath, hold on, get started – Germany needs new momentum.” At the “Berliner Freiheit”, they will discuss the pressing issues of our time, from conflicts and crises to economic and social challenges.

The names of all the award winners can be found from November 16 in the 12/2024 issue of Capital magazine and here: www.capital.de/top40unter40.