The mechanical engineering industry was and is characterized by a very high proportion of male employees. In 2020, only 10.8% of all employees in the mechanical engineering industry are female. There is definitely room for improvement. At Lödige Industries, we live and encourage diversity. Equitable opportunities are a matter of course to constantly maintain and improve diversity.
Dr. Vanessa Hagenbrock has been working as a graduate engineer at Lödige Industries for over 3.5 years now. She is the interface between our customers in the air cargo space and the technical departments and creates customised offers on the basis of technical layouts. In 2016, she received her doctorate in the area of mechanics and basic damage of materials. With her technical know-how, she is a great asset for the entire company.
We have asked our colleague four questions about her job as an engineer:
Why did you decide to become an engineer? What is most interesting in engineering for you?
"I decided to work as an engineer because I have always been very interested in natural sciences. Through my father, I was able to gain my first insights into the related field of electrical engineering. What I particularly appreciate about mechanical engineering is that I can really make a difference to the end product here and literally bring the machines to life."
Why did you decide to do a doctorate? What was the focus topic?
"My studies at the University of Paderborn taught me the basics of mechanical engineering. After graduating, I then wanted to expand my professional horizons in the direction of research and decided to do a doctorate at "Universität der Bundeswehr" in Munich.
My doctoral thesis in the field of mechanics gave me the opportunity to work intensively on the topic of basic damage to metals. I have developed a damage model to assess the basic damage of metals through pores and air inclusions on the micro-level."
Is there anything unique especially women can contribute to the engineering industry?
"Basically, it doesn't matter whether you are female or male. Rather, the job of an engineer depends on the personality. I know very structured, but also less structured engineers, but the decisive factor is the interest in the subject area in order to make a contribution as an engineer."
How do you perceive your daily work as an engineer?
"There is a very respectful interaction between colleagues in mechanical engineering. It is fundamentally important to position oneself strongly with one's know-how and to contribute to the solution."
