Bernard Meyer, the head of the MEYER WERFT Shipyard in Papenburg, receives the Werner von Siemens Ring, the highest German technical award

Thousands of people surround the Ems each time and follow with anticipation when a brand-new ocean giant is navigated centimeter by centimeter towards the free North Sea. Each of these cruise ships from the MEYER WERFT Shipyard in Papenburg is unique and a technical masterpiece. That applies not only to the gigantic amount of material which is perfectly coordinated chronologically here and assembled with artisan craftsmanship. But rather this applies above all to the technical innovations which always play a role. They are a very essential reason why the MEYER WERFT Shipyard as the only medium-sized private enterprise can compete in this market. Its managing shareholder, Dipl.-Ing. Bernard Meyer, knows like no one else how to stay up to date and to quickly implement technical-scientific knowledge in the building of his ships. Because of this skill, in addition to his exemplary commitment as socially minded entrepreneur, the shipbuilding engineer receives the Werner von Siemens Ring. The highest German award for persons who have, through their achievements, advanced the technical sciences is, as a general rule, awarded every three years by the Werner von Siemens Ring Foundation. He is the head of the MEYER WERFT Shipyard family business, already in the sixth generation. This fact was always a particular incentive for Bernard Meyer to do a good job, as he likes to point out in interviews. Therefore, shipbuilding engineering was naturally the only course of studies which came into consideration for him. And naturally, even today he holds all essential threads in his own hands - in the enormously extensive logistics, in the social structure in economically difficult times and in questions of technical development. Above all, the latter is not the case in the few comparable shipyards worldwide, which are all in the hands of large concerns. Thus it was possible for the MEYER WERFT Shipyard to become the most important enterprise not only in the Emsland, but also in German shipbuilding as a whole. And in spite of increasing competition from Asia and in spite of the imminent economic crisis the family business is in quite good shape, with continuous growth in the past few years. Four to six ships are built annually, among which are not only cruise ships with the dimensions of floating cities, but also special ships such as gas tankers and river-cruise ships. The importance of well-educated and motivated employees Bernard Meyer has recognized long ago and has therefore initiated an extensive education and training programme in his own company.

"We honor Bernard Meyer, because he is an exception among German engineers, has produced ground-breaking technical developments and implemented them entrepreneurially in his modern shipyards in Papenburg", explains Prof. Dr. Ernst O. Göbel, chairman of the foundation board of the Werner von Siemens Ring Foundation and President of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the decision to award the Werner von Siemens Ring to Bernard Meyer. With it he will step up into an illustrious rank of Ring recipients, which includes Carl Bosch, Konrad Zuse and Wernher von Braun (see Annex: Recipients of the Werner von Siemens Ring). The awarding of the Ring will take place on 13 December 2009, the 193rd anniversary of the birthday of Werner von Siemens, within the setting of a commemorative event.

Werner von Siemens Ring Foundation

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of Werner von Siemens on 13 December 1916, the "Siemens-Ring-Stiftung" (Siemens Ring Foundation) was founded in Berlin, the main task of which was to award "living persons without consideration of office, position or rank, if he/she has through his/her achievements advanced the technical sciences or as a representative of science, by opening new paths through his/her research in technology". Later it was renamed "Stiftung Werner-von-Siemens-Ring" (Werner von Siemens Ring Foundation). The "Werner-von-Siemens-Ring - Ehrenring für Verdienste um Naturwissenschaft und Technik" (Werner von Siemens Ring - honorary ring for achievements in the natural sciences and technology) is one of the highest German awards in this field and is awarded to highly achieving natural researchers and technological designers. The Ring is awarded by a foundation board whose members are in addition to the still-living Ring recipients, the chairmen or representatives of technical-scientific associations as well as the economy, the chairmen of the large scientific organizations, two professors in the natural or engineering sciences as well as one member of the Siemens family. The statutory chairman is the President of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. The patron of the foundation is the German Federal President.

2008: Bernard Meyer 2005: Berthold Leibinger 2002: Jörg Schlaich 1999: Dieter Oesterhelt 1996: Carl Adam Petri 1993: Eveline Gottzein 1990: Artur Fischer 1987: Rudolf Schulten 1984: Fritz Peter Schäfer 1981: Hans Scherenberg 1978: Rudolf Hell 1975: Wernher von Braun, Walter Bruch 1972: Ludwig Bölkow, Karl Winnacker 1968: Karl Küpfmüller, Joachim Siegfried Meurer 1964: Fritz Leonhardt, Walter Schottky, Konrad Zuse 1960: Otto Bayer, Walter Reppe, Karl Ziegler 1956: Jonathan Zenneck 1952: Hermann Röchling 1941: Walther Bauersfeld 1937: Fritz Todt 1933: Wolfgang Gaede 1930: Hugo Junkers 1927: Oskar von Miller 1924: Carl Bosch 1920: Carl Auer von Welsbach 1916: Carl von Linde