My current occupation:
Currently, I am a project manager at Metecon, a medical device company that helps medical device manufacturers get them legally approved on the market. I take a lot of responsibility and it is important to me in my job that I generate added value for our society.

My former occupation at IVW:
As a research associate, I developed materials from renewable raw materials and their processing at IVW. Due to the industrial proximity of the institute, I was able to learn a lot about the industrial application of these materials at the same time and gain professional experience after my studies. In addition, I also really enjoyed supervising students and exchanging ideas with colleagues from other fields of expertise.

My experience at IVW:
I learned a lot at IVW; not only professionally, but also personally. In particular, I have always appreciated the collegial and interdepartmental cohesion at the entire institute.
I am very grateful for all the people who helped me achieve my goals over so many years. For the future, I have made some friends, but I have also gained a good sense of teamwork and an optimal working atmosphere. 

My current occupation:
Since the beginning of 2018, I have been the managing director of a spin-off from IVW, CompActive GmbH. I lead a team of currently 4 engineers, a business economist and an electrical technician. In a variety of development projects, we work together with our customers to transfer novel bending actuators based on shape memory alloys into industrial applications.

My former occupation at IVW:
At IVW, I was initially employed as a research assistant, where I conducted research on the fundamentals of "smart" actively bending structures and completed my doctorate in this field. This work and the intensive industry contact in bilateral development projects were the starting point for subsequently initiating a spin-off project with the support of IVW. As part of the EXIST research transfer program, I prepared the spin-off of a manufacturing technology start-up at IVW with my team.

My experience at IVW:
The basis for my current work is, of course, the broad technical expertise and the systematic approaches that I was able to acquire during the diverse and varied scientific work at IVW. By working in changing project teams and participating in international conferences, skills in coordination and communication were always fostered. Looking back, the existing creative freedom to develop my own ideas was also particularly valuable for me personally.
Overall, IVW offered a great space for my personal development, in which it was also possible to recognize and seize special opportunities.

My current occupation:
For the past 5 years, I have been head of the "Leather and Textile Technology" course at Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences. The focus of my research activities is still on (natural) fibers as reinforcement in composite materials. This was also the central topic of my research at IVW. I can thus use the knowledge and experience I have gained over the years for teaching and "research-based learning" and pass it on to the next generation.

My former occupation at IVW:
From 2002 to 2008, I was a research associate in the Program Area Manufacturing Science under the supervision of Prof. Mitschang. The focus of my work was on natural fibers as reinforcement in composites. After my PhD, I worked at Faurecia Interior Systems in the "Pole of Competence" department as a team leader in the field of natural fibers. In October 2011, I returned to IVW as a competence field manager in the Program Area Manufacturing Science.

My experience at IVW:
Working at IVW has always been fun. You constantly have to learn new things and face new challenges. The interaction with colleagues was always very good.We helped and supported each other, everyone provided their own know-how and skills for the collaboration.  Without this collaboration, research is simply not possible.

My current occupation:
In my role as Head of Sales and Business Development for Composite Materials at Lonza Solutions AG (from 1 January 2020 until 25 June 2021), I worked with my colleagues to help make aircraft and vehicles, as well as electronic devices, more efficient through the use of Primaset®, Lonzacure® and Lonzadur®.

My former occupation at IVW:
As a research assistant at IVW, I worked on issues related to the processing of fiber-reinforced plastics and possible property enhancements.

My experience at IVW:
Today I somewhat miss the time to be able to deal so intensively with the search for solutions to problems. The size and diversity of the equipment as well as the interdisciplinary organization of IVW have facilitated the later career change from science to industry. I look back on the wonderful time at IVW with great pleasure. Through the alumni network, you stay in touch with your colleagues from back then as well as with current IVW employees, and they, in turn, can also draw on the experience of the alumni.

My current occupation:
I have been a professor of plastics engineering at TH Rosenheim for 5 years.

My former occupation at IVW:
At IVW I worked as a research assistant for almost 5 years and was able to successfully complete my dissertation on "Influence of processing technology and material composition on the structure-property relationships of thermoplastic nanocomposites" in addition to various projects related to extrusion or compounding.

My experience at IVW:
I very much appreciated the great collegiality among the staff. To this day, I always like to visit. IVW with its high standards and level has shaped me very much both professionally and personally. Every doctoral student is lucky to receive and experience an education at the IVW.