f.2.e on tour at ABB partner Busch-Jaeger Elektro in Lüdenscheid
With female.2.enterprises on tour, 20 female scientists and students from TU Dortmund University had the opportunity to visit Busch-Jaeger Elektro GmbH in Lüdenscheid in August. Busch-Jaeger is the market leader in the field of electrical installation technology and produces at two locations in Germany. As part of the ABB Group, the local company is also widely networked globally. The participants of the f.2.e tour were given exclusive insights into Busch-Jaeger's logistics and production center and were also able to discuss ABB Germany's research work with a female manager.
Most of the female scientists and students who took part in the tour in August came from engineering degree programs at TU Dortmund University. Dr. Veronica Biagini from the ABB Research Center Germany and Dipl.-Ing. Benjamin Wilms from Busch-Jaeger Elektro welcomed the women and introduced them to the company history and the working world of Busch-Jaeger Elektro. TU alumni Wilms emphasized the special nature of Busch-Jaeger as a strong regional company on the one hand and part of an international network on the other. The interplay of local ties and presence as well as acting on a global level characterize the everyday working life of the approximately 1,300 employees in Lüdenscheid and Aue.
From walking sticks to "smart living" - the company history of Busch-Jaeger Elektro
The company history of Busch-Jaeger Elektro GmbH stretches back over 130 years to 1879, when the brothers Hans-Curt and Georg Jäger founded a metal goods factory in Lüdenscheid. What began with the production of metal walking stick tips soon developed into the manufacture of simple electrotechnical installation material. Today, the company's history shows the path from the Edison lamp socket to modern building systems technology. As the market leader in the field of electrical installation technology, the company exports to more than 60 countries around the globe. In this sector, too, the future lies in digitalization. In the spirit of ABB, which sees itself as a "pioneering technology leader", Busch-Jaeger Elektro is doing pioneering work in the field of "smart living".
Insights into the future-oriented work of the ABB Research Center Germany
Following the company presentation, Dr. Veronica Biagini provided information about the work of the entire ABB Group, with a focus on research and development in Germany. "Our job is to look into the future," said the electrical engineering graduate, explaining her work at the ABB Research Center. She is now a team leader in the "Grid Integration and Control" department and is developing the power grids of the future with her colleagues. In a discussion with Veronica Biagini, the female scientists and students were given exclusive insights into the research work and the entry and career opportunities for women in particular at ABB.
In a lively exchange with the female scientists and students, Veronica Biagini spoke openly about her personal career and her day-to-day work as a female manager in the heavily male-dominated field of research-based engineering. She was particularly inspired by her palpable passion for practical research: "For me, it is so satisfying to see that something really works the way I thought it would." She called on the young female academics to always follow their motivation: "If you don't try, you'll never know!"
Lunch together was an opportunity to talk to Veronica Biagini and Benjamin Wilms in greater depth. The subsequent factory tour provided information about the company's working environment. In a final round, Veronica Biagini and Benjamin Wilms were joined by Roland Müller - Head of Operations - and Vanessa Geier, a former f.2.e participant who now works in marketing at Busch-Jaeger, to answer the participants' questions and were delighted with the positive feedback.
female.2.enterprises aims to show female students and academics from various disciplines career development opportunities in the region and prepare them for a career outside academia.
Atf.2.e on tour attractive companies offer in-depth insights into their company structures and explain internal career paths. Participants have the opportunity to make contact with employers at an early stage, get to know HR managers and broaden their view of employment options - both now and for the future.