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Final of the 43rd Bundeswettbewerb Informatik: Germany's computer science talents in the spotlight
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About a year after the start of the 43rd Bundeswettbewerb Informatik (Federal Computer Science Competition) on September 1, 2024, Germany's 30 most talented computer scientists traveled to Munich. They prevailed against a total of 1,760 participating students in two preliminary rounds by solving challenging computer science tasks. In the two-day final round at the Technical University of Munich in Garching, the finalists solved and presented research-related questions in teams and demonstrated their talent to the jury in individual interviews. The organizers at the Technical University of Munich were supported by the Munich-based tech companies Google and QuantCo.
The Technical University of Munich is home to numerous former finalists and even some winners of past rounds of the Bundeswettbewerb Informatik, both among its students and its teaching staff. One of them is Stephan Günnemann, Professor of Data Analytics and Machine Learning at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology and Executive Director of the Munich Data Science Institute: "As a former finalist, it is a particular pleasure for me to welcome this year's participants to our university. The national competition brings together the best young talents in computer science - young people who impress with their creativity, analytical thinking, and enjoyment of solving complex problems. They are the ones who will shape the future of the digital society. At the Munich Data Science Institute, we see it as our central task to promote these talents and give them the space they need to develop."
As with Stephan Günnemann, many finalists develop a deeper enthusiasm for their field of study during the course of their studies. An impressive example of this is a group of former winners and TUM graduates who first met through the competition. Together, they founded the start-up Listen Labs in San Francisco and develop AI agents for customer research. They recently secured $27 million in funding from major investors for this venture. This success story underscores that participating in the Bundeswettbewerb Informatik is a sustainable investment in one's personal and professional future.
These are the winners
During the competition, the finalists demonstrated their ability to solve even the most difficult problems, developed excellent strategies in group work, and showed their impressive expertise despite their young age in one-on-one interviews with IT experts.
The following talented individuals were honored as national winners:
- Florian Bange, 17, from Essen (Maria-Wächtler-Gymnasium, Essen)
- Leo Blume, 17, from Stralsund (Gymnasium Essen-Werden, Essen)
- Kevin Haocheng Gong, 17, from Essen (Maria-Wächtler-Gymnasium, Essen)
- David Meusel, 16, from Großenstein (Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium, Jena)
- Annika Schmidt, 19, from Wörth am Rhein (Europa-Gymnasium, Wörth am Rhein)
- Charlotte Steinberg, 18, from Dietzhölztal (Wilhelm-von-Oranien-Schule, Dillenburg)
They will each receive prize money of €900 for their impressive achievements.
Winning the national computer science competition demonstrates the high level of competence of the young people who receive this award, which is why it also comes with admission to the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. The younger finalists also have the opportunity to qualify for the German team at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) 2026 in Uzbekistan, where they will compete with top talents from around the world.
The chairman of the advisory board of the National Computer Science Competitions, Professor Christoph Weidenbach, was enthusiastic about the finalists: “With their work, these young people have contributed to solving open research problems. The Bundeswettbewerb Informatik consistently discovers outstanding young talent for the field.”
Ingo Wegener Prize
Charlotte Steinberg's outstanding overall performance impressed the jury. She was awarded the Ingo Wegener Prize, worth €500, named after the former advisory board chairman and renowned German computer scientist Ingo Wegener.
Other prize winners are:
- Michael Danhamer, 17, from Mainz (Gymnasium am Kurfürstlichen Schloss, Mainz)
- Jan Garloff, 18, from Köln (Städtisches Schiller-Gymnasium, Köln)
- Maxim Goldshteyn, 17, from Dortmund (Käthe-Kollwitz-Gymnasium, Dortmund)
- Christian Krause, 18, from Steinhausen a.d. Rottum (Gymnasium Ochsenhausen, Ochsenhausen)
- Emil Kroisandt, 16, from Bad Kreuznach (Gymnasium a.d. Stadtmauer, Bad Kreuznach)
- Timon Retzlaff, 18, from Schwetzingen (Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Gymnasium, Mannheim)
In recognition of their achievements, they will receive prize money totaling €600.
Special prizes
In addition to the prizes already mentioned, special prizes were also awarded this year by the Computer Science Departments at German Universities. Ida Willer, 18, from Legau, who attends Vöhlin-Gymnasium Memmingen, received the special prize for the best individual interview. Emil Kroisandt gave a thoroughly convincing individual presentation and received a special prize for his efforts. In addition to the individual achievements, the best group performance was also recognized: the award went to Michael Danhamer, Kevin Gong, David Meusel, and Lucas Wittmann (17, from Vogtareuth, Sebastian-Finsterwalder-Gymnasium Rosenheim).
About the Bundeswettbewerb Informatik
The Bundeswettbewerb Informatik is the most traditional of the nationwide computer science competitions (BWINF). These competitions have set themselves the task of sparking interest in computer science and programming, as well as identifying and promoting talent. BWINF is supported by the Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V., the Fraunhofer ICT Group, and the Max Planck Institute for Informatics; BWINF is funded by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The nationwide informatics competitions are school competitions sponsored by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and are held under the patronage of the Federal President. The Bundeswettbewerb Informatik makes an important contribution to attracting outstanding young talents to computer science and the shaping of the information and communication society; many former participants now hold leadership positions in business and science.