Innovation, practical relevance and scientific excellence – these are the criteria of the jury to promote young researchers with the Science Award for Supply Chain Management, granted annually by the Bundesvereinigung für Logistik (BVL) and supported by BASF. At the German Supply Chain Conference, the finalists presented their doctoral or professional theses, project studies or monographs. Krühn was awarded for his dissertation "Distributed control of extensive conveyor systems for internal material flow".
In cooperation with his fellow researchers at the Institute of Transport and Automation Technology (ITA), Krühn developed a conveyor matrix based on decentralized control. The individual modules are equipped with a certain degree of intelligence, being able to communicate with each other and take decisions. Krühn developed the control algorithms for the modules within the scope of his doctoral thesis.