Solidarity wins drupa prize 2011

World’s biggest trade fair for the printing and media industry, drupa awarded its annual prize to Ulf Tranow’s doctoral thesis ‘Solidarity and Sociological Analysis – a Theoretical Contribution to the Concept of Solidarity’.

In keeping with the award’s colourful history the winning subject has little or nothing to do with printing or the graphic arts. It takes a long bow to find a connection but the organisers were up to the task.

Solidarity was keynote in drupa president Martin Weickenmeier’s speech using the forthcoming 60th anniversary of drupa in May 2011 as an occasion to emphasise the close cooperation between industry and the trade fair.

Weickenmeier says despite individualism and image cultivation of digital natives, “solidarity and the collective are now celebrating a comeback.”

According to drupa, Tranow’s thesis expresses the view that to encourage solidarity, it is vital to provide sufficient incentives such as monetary aspects or at least recognition from others.

Pictured: Showing solidarity, drupa prize winner Dr. Ulf Tranow (left) with drupa president Martin Weickenmeier.

Messe Düsseldorf, organiser of drupa since 1978, has honoured outstanding doctoral thesis of the Faculty of Humanities at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf for many years now.

The 2011 award was conferred by drupa president Martin Weickenmeier, Messe Düsseldorf CEO Werner M. Dornscheidt and Düsseldorf-based Heinrich Heine University president Prof. H. Michael Piper, Ph.D.