“I am very pleased about the recognition because it shows that economic research on socially important issues is also noticed and appreciated outside of academia,” says the young scientist, who investigates educational opportunities, labor market equality, and the consequences of digital technologies such as AI for employees and companies. “I bring my research findings into the public debate and would like to contribute to a fact-based discussion of these topics.” For TUM Campus Heilbronn, too, the award is a wonderful confirmation “that we are working on issues that move society and can make a constructive impact at the interface between science, politics, and business.”

Research should provide guidance

In the coming years, Lergetporer would like to continue to shed scientific light on key social issues: “We are living in a time of great change and important decisions in economy and society. I believe it is crucial that research provides guidance and contributes to an informed and sustainable society. The award greatly encourages me to continue on this course.”

“Top 40 under 40” is one of the most prestigious awards for young decision-makers. In 2007, the Capital editorial team set out for the first time to find the leadership elite of tomorrow – and presented “Germany’s prodigies”: 40 outstanding talents under the age of 40 who are already achieving remarkable things in politics, business, management, and society and who are expected to have great careers ahead of them.

Increasing proportion of women

At that time, just under a third of the 160 award winners were women; in the current evaluation, the figure is 42 percent. The 2025 award winners include, for example, Federal Minister of Construction Verena Hubertz, Christian Hassel, divisional director at Commerzbank, Matthias Nießner, CEO of the AI company Spaital, and Michael Schwarz, one of the leading minds in cybersecurity research.

Capital has now built up one of the most comprehensive talent pools in the country, with an alumni network of more than 1,500 award winners. The awardees and alumni will meet on November 21, 2025, at the “Top 40 under 40” summit at the Bertelsmann representative office in Berlin.

All winners will be featured in the next issue of Capital magazine, 12/2025, which will be published on November 15. An overview of all honorees is now available here.