Asked by... Patricia Preikschat

Congratulations on receiving the DGO plaque for your commitment to the industry. Were you surprised by the award and what does it mean to you?

As a former DGO chairwoman, it didn't surprise me, but the award at the Ulm Dialogue was unexpected. The event is very dear and important to me personally, and for me it represents the essence of the DGO in the best sense. I have experienced more than three decades of the Ulm Dialogue and have many very fond memories of it: of exciting lectures, sometimes very close, sometimes very far away from my everyday work, of intelligent and sometimes controversial discussions, of many wonderful conversations and encounters in between. I always went home from Ulm inspired and full of ideas. The recognition and thanks that were expressed with the DGO plaque were really nice for me. Even if a medal may seem old-fashioned or antiquated to some people, I think it's good and important in our hectic, busy times to pause for a moment and say: you've done well, we thank you. I was surprised how pleased I was and how anointed and in a good mood I felt.

You co-founded SurTec around 30 years ago, shaped the hydrogen embrittlement working group with your expertise and held responsibility in the DGO. A life for the industry?

Yes, of course. Even during my studies, I realized how big a part work would play in my future life and I was determined to do something that fulfilled me and with which I could make a difference. I found that in this industry: Corrosion protection and the prevention of hydrogen embrittlement avert damage in principle and conserve resources. I focused on the replacement of hazardous substances, which started very early on with nitrite and cyanide and then led to the replacement of chromium (VI). As co-owner and managing director, I wanted to be as fair and accessible as possible, build a particularly ecological building, promote women, inspire the next generation and especially girls for STEM subjects and for surface coating and electroplating. I really enjoyed that, but it was also good to be able to hand over SurTec - which I continue to advise - to the shareholder Freudenberg after almost 20 years.

What was your experience of the last Ulm Dialogue?

The event provided a very good insight into current research into future energies and their challenges, and the discussions following the presentations were also of a very high standard. It was an exemplary and exciting Ulm Dialogue. Wolfgang Paatsch, one of my personal heroes in the industry, has stepped down as head of the FA Research and thus also of the Ulm Dialogue, but the moderation by Dr. Klaus Wojczykowski showed that it is still in good hands. The fact that I was able to see Prof. Kanani, a good old friend and former discussion partner, again this year at the Ulm Dialogue was particularly inspiring and touching.