Which qualities did help you the most in your career?

I am driven by the conviction that science offers us solutions to many of today's challenges, including counteracting climate change. Finding these technological solutions and developing them further is a real concern for me. In my opinion, this requires the courage to try new things and to think and act "out of the box. It also requires a certain tenacity to stay on the ball and pursue goals until the best possible result is achieved.


What advice do you have for women who want to pursue a career in science?

I see women again and again, especially young women, who look at themselves and their own abilities critically and perhaps have too little confidence in themselves. If we at Fraunhofer IWKS see potential in a person, we actively approach them and encourage them to dare to take the next career step. I want to encourage these young women to pursue their goals and also to take a more forceful stance at times.


What aspects are particularly important to you in the management of Fraunhofer IWKS?

In order to secure decisions, it is important to me personally to be able to fall back on a reliable base of knowledge, i.e. to be best positioned in terms of content and expertise. This is also reflected in our team: We strive to have the best people with wide-ranging expertise.

In a team of highly qualified experts, collegial and open leadership is central. I have found it very stimulating to discuss issues openly without prescribing possible solutions in advance. In this way, ideas can be discarded and we can find the best solution together. This not only makes sense from a technical point of view, it also makes collaboration more fun.


Why is Fraunhofer IWKS a good employer for women?

We have many great and committed women in research and administration, also in management positions. Regardless of whether they are scientists, laboratory or technical specialists, commercial staff, trainees or students, the expertise of the people at Fraunhofer IWKS is the decisive factor. We want the best employees for Fraunhofer IWKS who are enthusiastic about the interesting tasks. Regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, physical limitations or ethnic origin, we open up opportunities and possibilities for employees to develop and contribute as they can and want to. We also see that we have good people by the fact that when they leave the institute, they very often move on to challenging and well-paid jobs in industry. Of course, we allow all employees family time, part-time work, flexible and mobile working.


What benefits do you see in a workforce that reflects diversity?

How much potential would we waste if we excluded individual groups of people? Diverse, different perspectives can only enrich. It's about working together to find the best scientific and technological answers to pressing challenges of our time. And that is what Fraunhofer IWKS stands for.