Gert Heinrich graduated at the University in Jena (G) in quantum physics in 1973. At the University of Technology (TH) Leuna-Merseburg, he finished his doctorate in 1978 in polymer network physics and his Habilitation in 1986 about theory of polymer networks and topological constraints. In 1990 he received a position at the tire manufacturer Continental in Hanover (G) as senior research scientist and head of Materials Research. Heinrich continued his academic activities as lecturer at Universities of Hanover (G) and Halle/Wittenberg (G). In 2002, he was appointed as a full professor for “Polymer Materials and Rubber Technology” at the Technische Universität Dresden and as director of the Institute of Polymer Materials at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e. V. (IPF). Since 2017 he is a Senior Professor. His work has been recognized by several grants and awards, e.g. the George Stafford Whitby Award for distinguished teaching and research from the Rubber Division ofthe ACS, the Colwyn Medal in UK for outstanding services to the rubber industry; the Carl Dietrich Harries Medal from the German Rubber Society, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Tire Technology International Magazine.Reinhold Kipscholl graduated as Dipl.-Ing. in engineering of data processing and electronics. He is active since more than 20 years in leading industrial positions, especially in the field of testing and characterization of materials with respect of their physical behavior. Since 20 years he is General Manager of Coesfeld GmbH & Co. KG (Dortmund), a German Company developing and producing material testing equipment for plastics and elastomers. In 2012, R. Kipscholl founded and became CEO of PRL Polymer Research Lab., a Czech company which he led until 2021, researching and developing new testing methods for characterization of fracture and wear behavior of rubbers. He has been awarded with the 2018 Fernley H. Bunbury Award (RubberDivision, American Chemical Society).Radek Stoček obtained his diploma degree as engineer in 2005 from the Czech Technical University in Prague and received his Ph.D. in engineering science in 2012 from the Technical University Chemnitz (Germany), working with M. Gehde and parallel with G. Heinrich at IPF Dresden (G). Then he started an industrial career at PRL Polymer Research Lab (PRL), Zlin, Czech Republic, and parallel an independent academic career at the Tomas Bata University (TBU) in Zlin. He finished his Habilitation in 2019. Currently he is holding the two positions as Managing Director at PRL and Head of the Rubber Department at TBU. His research and scientific interests are focused on characterization of rubber material properties with respect to fatigue and fracture mechanics and on the development of new and advanced testing methodologies, hardware and equipments. One main goal is to optimize industrial rubber products in terms of performanceand durability as well as to fasten development cycles and minimizing extensive real rubber product tests before production. His work has been recognized by awards from The Tire Society (USA). R. Stoček is author of 54 publications (according to Scopus) and holds several Utility Models.
