Congratulations to Associate Professor Hans-Jörg Schulz and his team for receiving the 2025 VRVis Visual Computing Award.

The award recognizes outstanding application-oriented research in Visual Computing and Data Visualization that advances sustainable development. Hans-Jörg was honored for his collaborative research with Aarhus University’s Department of Food Science and Arla Foods Ingredients, leveraging visual analytics to develop innovative solutions for food science and production. In doing so, he and his team transformed how researchers handle complex datasets such as those from rheological tests and mass spectrometric analyses. Their work includes:

• Rheological Data Analysis: A user-friendly tool that helps researchers study the texture and consistency of food, like cheese and yogurt. Their tool improving how these foods are made, ensuring faster production, better retention of nutrients and flavor, and affordability.
• Protein Sequence Visualization: A software that tracks how proteins break down during digestion. It helps create healthier foods by identifying nutrients and properties that can improve diets, especially for specific needs like better digestion or tailored nutrition.

These tools not only enhance research in food sciences but also support the creation of sustainable and nutritious food products, thus contributing directly to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as Zero Hunger (SDG#2) and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SDG#12). By open-sourcing the research prototypes and making the papers available as open access publications, Hans-Jörg and his team ensure that their work benefits a global audience, including universities, large industrial enterprises, and innovative start-ups. For more information about the project, see this new video about 'Visual Analytics for the Food Sciences'.

The award was presented at the Visual Computing Trends Symposium in Vienna, Austria, where Hans-Jörg joined leading researchers and industry professionals to celebrate this milestone in visual computing research. Learn more about the VRVis Visual Computing Award: https://www.vrvis.at/en/news-events/awards/visual-computing-award