3rd Young Researchers Competition
The online conference is complete, and all 19 research presentations are now available to watch on demand.
The Top 10 finalists presented live at the 76th World Foundry Congress in Istanbul, where the winners were announced on stage. Congratulations to Qihang Yang, Reo Fuse and Elena Mingotti!
- Prize Pool
- €14,000
- On Demand
- Available Now
- 1st Place
- Qihang Yang
- Finals Location
- Türkiye
- Topics
- 3
76th World Foundry Congress · Istanbul, Türkiye
Congratulations to our winners
The Top 10 finalists presented their research live in Istanbul, and the winners of the 3rd Young Researchers Competition were announced on stage.
- 1st Place
Qihang Yang
Tsinghua University
China
Optimizing investment casting processes for large complex thin-walled titanium alloys using small-data machine learning method
- 2nd Place
Reo Fuse
University of Yamanashi
Japan
Digital Twin-Based Visualization of Pouring Flow Pattern for Evaluation of Manual Pouring Operation
- 3rd Place
Elena Mingotti
University of Brescia
Italy
Structural Castings Made of Recycled Alloys: Optimization of Performance
Top 10 Finalists
Together with our three winners, these researchers presented in the live finals in Istanbul (listed alphabetically).
Jan Angenoorth
Slurry-based 3D-printing of pure aluminum heat sinks
Germany
Muhsin Deniz Güler
Creative Solutions for E-Mobility Housing Using Sand Core Fixing Components in Low-Pressure Casting
Türkiye
Levente Hajas
Development of a Zr-containing Grain Refining Flux and Its Effect on the Properties of an AlSi10Mg Casting Alloy
Hungary
Watch Our Trailer
Get a glimpse of what awaits you at the 3rd Young Researchers Competition.
Embedded YouTube Video
This embedded video is provided by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you play the video, a connection to YouTube's servers is established. YouTube will be informed which pages you visit. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube may associate your browsing behavior with your profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account beforehand.
How It Works
From submission to awards - your journey to the World Foundry Conference in Türkiye.
Phase 1
Submit Your Abstract
Submit an abstract and a 2-minute video presentation by April 26, 2026 (extended from March 31).
Phase 1
Jury Selection
A jury of professors and industry professionals reviews all submissions and selects the Top 20.
Phase 2
Detailed Presentation
19 participants submitted 15-minute videos explaining their research in detail. Every presentation is now available on demand after registration.
Phase 2
Live Finals in Türkiye
Next, the Top 10 will present live in Türkiye on October 19–21, 2026, and the winners will be announced on stage.
Key Dates
Mark your calendar for these important milestones.
Phase 1 Deadline
Participants submitted their abstracts and 2-minute video presentations.
Jury Review
The jury evaluated all Phase 1 submissions and selected the leading participants.
Phase 2 Deadline
19 participants submitted detailed 15-minute video presentations for the online conference.
Online Conference
19 presentations were shown to a global audience and remain available on demand after registration.
Live Finals in Türkiye
The Top 10 presented their research live in Istanbul. Winners were announced on stage.
19 presentations on demand
Meet the participants
Meet the young researchers whose 15-minute presentations are now available to watch on demand.
Jan Angenoorth
DIGITAL METHODS
Augsburg, Germany
Reo Fuse
DIGITAL METHODS
Kofu, Japan
Muhsin Deniz Güler
CASTING SOLUTIONS
Orhangazi, Türkiye
Levente Hajas
CASTING SOLUTIONS
Miskolc, Hungary
Umar Siddique
DIGITAL METHODS
Tampere, Finland
Haoyan Xue
CASTING SOLUTIONS
Kyoto, Japan
Qihang Yang
DIGITAL METHODS
Beijing, China
Global cohort
Participant origins
Explore on-demand research from foundry communities around the world.
- Profiles
- 19
- Countries
- 9
With gratitude
Honoring the reviewers and organization team
The Young Researchers Competition depends on the people who review each submission with care and the team that turns the program into a smooth conference experience.
Reviewers
Scientific evaluation
Their expertise shapes the selection process and gives young researchers thoughtful, credible recognition.
Attila Dioszegi
Jönköping University
Marcin Górny
AGH University of Krakow
Prof. Dr. Özgül Keleş
Istanbul Technical University
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Philipp Lechner
Universität Augsburg
Ken Moizumi
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Primož Mrvar
University of Ljubljana
Jakob Olofsson
Jönköping University
Jerry Thiel
University of Northern Iowa
Niels Skat Tiedje
DTU Orbit
Organization team
Program delivery
Behind the scenes, the team keeps the competition, conference, and partner coordination moving.
Dr. Carsten Kuhlgatz
Albertuswerke GmbH
Prizes & Awards
Total prize pool of €14,000 for the top researchers.
1st Place
€8,000
Present at World Foundry Conference
2nd Place
€4,000
Present at World Foundry Conference
3rd Place
€2,000
Present at World Foundry Conference
Top 10 Finalists
All Top 10 researchers were invited to Türkiye to present their research live at the World Foundry Congress (October 19-21, 2026). (Accommodation and travel were paid by sponsors).
Research Topics
Submit your research in one of these three focus areas.
Casting Solutions
High-quality cast components are characterized by reliability, long service life, multifunctionality, and complete recyclability. There is a constant demand for high-quality casting materials, highly efficient casting processes, and intelligent designs that combine different functions. Market trends are driving specific developments in areas like E-mobility structural castings and green energy components. Produced with lower energy consumption, a reduced CO2 footprint, and less waste.
Digital Methods / Engineering
The progress of digital methods is a key topic of research and development in manufacturing, with a need to improve their application across many areas of the casting process. Examples include data-driven analysis and quality assurance, data-based models to optimize machine control, and the use of artificial intelligence for design and process optimisation. Key challenges for the casting industry are the robustness of sensors to generate and gather data, the reliability of systems, and the large variety of factors that influence quality.
Circular Economy / Sustainable Foundry
The casting process is one of the most effective ways to get from primary material to a final product with the lowest possible energy input, enabling the recycling and re-use of metal alloys. High-quality recycling of mixed scrap and end-of-life components poses new challenges for the entire process chain. Foundries face demanding tasks in the transformation towards climate neutrality, including securing CO2-neutral energy sources and meeting increasing requirements for lifecycle assessments.
Conference Gallery
Highlights from previous Young Researchers Competitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the competition.
More Questions?
Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
Lifetime Legacy Sponsors
