Women do not have the same access to informal networks as men – one of the causes that hinder female career paths. femTUme, the women's network of the Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at TU Wien, provides a platform that offers female researchers a stage for their work to counteract this imbalance – one way of doing this is the annual congress.

Making Female Research Visible

For the third consecutive year, the femTUme congress took place, where young and established female scientists presented their current research results. In doing so, they made their scientific work visible and highlighted their role as initiators in a male-dominated discipline. This congress and the large number of participants serve as a visible and powerful proof for femTUme that their commitment is bearing fruit.

Bottom-up, Persistence, and Solidarity

Brigitte Ratzer, long-time head of the Gender Competence Department at TU Wien, emphasized in her opening remarks how important activities like those of the femTUme network are. While institutional top-down measures from the EU and universities aim at promoting gender equality, bottom-up initiatives like femTUme play a crucial role in implementing these strategies in the university's (research) everyday life.

Nina Alice Bauregger, a consultant and former executive, highlighted the great innovative potential of women and how they can change our society. She also pointed out that it has often been a few individuals who stood up for better quality of life and initiated significant social changes. At the end of her keynote speech, she emphasized the importance of qualities like persistence and solidarity among women.

Current Research

The female researchers of the Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering presented their work and showcased the impressive breadth of their research. Insights were shared in areas such as energy production, thermofluid dynamics systems, continuum mechanics, and material science. Medical developments were also presented, such as the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate and analyze blood flow in the human heart or a vibrotactile feedback system for hand prosthesis users.

A panel discussion with established scientists and professors, including Bettina Mihalyi-Schneider, Melanie Todt, Margit Gföhler, and Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki, provided valuable insights into different career paths as well as the significant role of mentors. The discussion also created space to address the current situation of women in science.

PhD and master’s students presented their research findings in a poster session. The most convincing poster, created by Christina Danecker, was awarded by a jury consisting of Vice Rector Jasmin Gründling-Riener, Dean Christian Bauer, and Professor and femTUme co-founder, Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki.

Outlook: Projects and Initiatives

femTUme is currently making an important contribution to the visibility and networking of women in mechanical engineering. The network wants to further involve the next generation of students in its activities and offer these women a platform early on so that they can build networks from the start, develop further, and successfully shape their career paths. After the first few years, as Dora Zagorac from the network reports, femTUme is at a turning point, as some of the first active members will be leaving TUW. At the same time, fresh energy is being brought into the network through new members, along with new impulses for development, Zagorac says.

Several projects are already on the agenda for the upcoming year, alongside regular social gatherings, breakfasts, and networking meetings:

• A highlight: the first study on the situation of women at the faculty. It aims to provide valuable insights into existing challenges and potentials and serve as a basis for developing targeted measures.
• Workshops for individual development to promote personal and professional exchange.
• Expanding the network and retaining women at the faculty, so they can bring their perspectives and ideas into the scientific work at the faculty.

femTUme is motivated when women network, learn from each other, and support one another. The networkers know how important female role models in mechanical engineering at TU Wien are, as they demonstrate that women can succeed in traditionally male-dominated professions and send a strong message to the next generation. Female scientists contribute to creating an inclusive scientific culture and paving the way for future generations.

femTUme (Link). The women's network of the Faculty for Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at TU Wien.