This year’s edition of the international competition — held under the patronage of leading European initiatives promoting innovation and the development of rail transport (ERRAC PAG, EURNEX, and Europe’s Rail) — aimed to recognize outstanding academic achievements in the field of railways and to help young researchers gain access to the specialized railway sector environment.

Out of 55 submitted theses from international universities, completed during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years, the competition jury — composed of esteemed representatives of the academic and railway industry communities — selected five winning works: two in the Master’s thesis category and three in the Doctoral dissertation category.

Among the laureates is M.Sc. Eng. Michał Koźlicki, a graduate of Poznan University of Technology, whose Master’s thesis titled “Vibration-Based Diagnosis of a Tram Traction Motor Using Signal Decomposition and Neural Networks” was recognized by the jury in the Master’s category. The topics addressed in the thesis align with current challenges related to improving the reliability of rail vehicles and implementing modern diagnostic methods in rolling stock maintenance processes.

The work was completed under the academic supervision of Tomasz Nowakowski, PhD.

"The partnership-based collaboration with my supervisor and his invaluable guidance had a significant impact on the final academic quality of the project — something clearly confirmed by this success in such a prestigious competition," — emphasizes Michał Koźlicki.

The award ceremony and presentation of the winning works will take place on June 5, 2025, in Brussels, during the ERRAC plenary meeting