Joachim Herz Award 2026 for Sebastian Tonke

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Tonke, former Senior Research Fellow at our MPI in Bonn, has been awarded the 2026 Joachim Herz Award. Endowed with €500,000, the prize is among the most highly endowed research awards in Germany and recognizes innovative research with strong societal relevance.

Tonke receives the award for his project WETTER (Water Efficiency through Technology, Targeting, and Experimental Research), which aims to identify the measures and incentives that encourage households to use drinking water more efficiently. As part of the project, 4,000 households will be equipped with digital water meters that provide near real-time information on water consumption. Participants will also receive different forms of feedback, information, and incentives through a smartphone app.

The findings are intended to help water utilities and policymakers develop effective and scalable strategies for more sustainable water use. The project’s insights may also prove valuable beyond the water sector, including for the management of other resources such as electricity or natural gas.

Tonke earned his PhD in economics from the University of Cologne in 2019 and served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics from 2019 to 2026 before joining the Technical University of Munich. His research combines environmental and behavioral economics to better understand how incentives and policies can promote sustainable behavior.