Award for XR-based teaching concept

Professor Dr Marina-Elena Wachs from the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology at Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) has been awarded the Wilhelm Lorch Prize 2026. With the 10,000 euro grant, the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation supports her project “Textil Designen in XR-Lernräumen”, which opens up new paths in the education of textile and fashion experts.

The prize was presented on 29 April 2026 in the Palmengarten in Frankfurt am Main. The ceremony took place during the 67th Forum of TextilWirtschaft in front of around 500 industry representatives. The Wilhelm Lorch Prize is one of the most highly endowed awards in the German textile sector and is backed by companies and individuals from trade, industry and services.

Virtual environments as design laboratories

At the core of Wachs' project is the link between traditional textile know-how and digital technologies. Students are to design textile products in virtual and extended environments and in this way develop sustainable design solutions. “Up to now, VR headsets have primarily been used in industry as communication and evaluation tools. The grant enables us to use XR technologies in a targeted way in teaching and to open up new forms of experimental and sustainable designing for our students,” says Wachs.

The project focuses on practice-oriented learning methods. VR headsets, mixed-reality tools and AI-supported applications are used in small groups to foster experiential design. At the same time, the programme offers opportunities for close collaboration with industry partners and for integrating realistic case studies into everyday teaching.

Balancing craft, sustainability and digital tools

Wachs also works as an industrial designer and develops sustainable material solutions for a wide range of applications. She particularly values the support for her project “Cross Design Engineering in VR and AR”, implemented together with Professor Dr Sue Rossano-Rivero and Dr Lennart Hofeditz from HSNR's Faculty of Business Studies.

As a master tailor, Wachs is committed to preserving traditional textile craftsmanship. Her aim is to strengthen the balance between craftsmanship, sustainable design and modern digital tools. The support from the Wilhelm Lorch Foundation is, in her view, an important opportunity to teach these future skills in a targeted way and to prepare students for the challenges of the creative industries.