Forty-seven high school graduates from across Austria competed in the third annual SPAR Austria Diversity Award to promote biodiversity. Among the eight federal winners, Martina Hasiba from Styria emerged as the national winner for her work on the habitats of wild bees.

The award ceremony took place in Vienna at the Ministry of Education, attended by winners, their families, tutors, and friends. SPAR Austria board member Markus Kaser, host Markus Benesch (group leader of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research), and the expert jury from the SPAR Bee Council presented the SPAR Diversity Award. They were impressed by the record number of high-quality (pre-)scientific submissions and the practical research involved.

Markus Kaser SPAR Austria Board member, initiator and jury member commented: “At SPAR, we firmly believe in giving young people a voice, especially on issues like climate protection, biodiversity, and species diversity. The large number of high-quality submissions, covering topics like climate justice, bee habitats, tuna stock threats, and insect mortality, shows that young adults are deeply engaged with these important issues.”

National winner

Among the state winners, one project stood out and won the national award. Martina Hasiba from the city of Graz received a €1,000 voucher for a refurbished notebook, tablet, or mobile phone.

Her project, titled “Benefits, endangerment and protection of wild bees,” impressed the jury. Martina conducted experiments at two locations in Styria to see if “nesting mounds” provide suitable living conditions for wild bees. Jury chair and pollination ecology expert Kathrin Grobbauer noted, “Martina discovered a lot of life in these mounds, which greatly impressed us.”

SPAR Diversity Award 2024

The 2024 SPAR Diversity Award saw a record number of participants. The Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, a supporter of the award since its launch, hosted the ceremony. Markus Benesch, the Ministry’s Group Leader, attended the ceremony on behalf of the Minister.

The jury, along with SPAR Managing Director for Vienna, Lower Austria and Northern Burgenland, Alois Huber, attended the ceremony. The SPAR Bee Council  includes experts numerous experts and Kathrin Grobbauer, a biologist specialising in pollination ecology, chairs the jury. The jury evaluated the pre-scientific work based on the content’s scope and quality, as well as the practical research conducted.

Winners received urban gardening packages, product packages, and vouchers to support their transition to work or study or to enjoy a relaxing summer after a demanding school year.

Source: SPAR Austria

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About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company. With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed the brand in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy.