After graduating from high school, it was initially unclear to me whether I should study a pure natural science or engineering. However, it quickly became apparent that the field of engineering was more suited to my interests and ideas. So in 2007 I enrolled at the Ruhr-University Bochum for the course of studies in mechanical engineering as the first class in the Bachelor/Master system.
During my undergraduate studies it became more and more difficult to make a decision about a major. The choice fell on the field of materials for two reasons. On the one hand, the Institute for Materials enjoys a good reputation, and on the other hand, the area of materials forms the largest possible intersection with all other areas. After all, materials are always necessary for the production of plants and machines. After choosing the specialization, I followed the lectures and events with increasing interest. After a successful oral examination with Prof. Theisen, he encouraged me to apply as a student assistant at the Chair of Materials Engineering. This position allowed me to apply and expand the theoretical knowledge I had acquired during my studies by working on research topics, expert reports and scientific papers. I gained insights into the fields of metallurgy, materials testing, materials development, application and simulation. I was particularly influenced by the opportunity to work independently on equipment such as a scanning electron microscope under good guidance and to gain experience. For the industrial internship required by the curriculum, I was put in contact with a research partner through the chair. Thus, I completed my internship at Deutsche Edelstahlwerke GmbH (DEW) in the department for special materials in Krefeld at the end of 2011, after which I finished my bachelor's degree. Before entering the master's program, I received a job offer from the DEW department where I had completed my internship. However, since I did not want to give up my master's studies, another option was opened up to me. I was offered a scholarship for the master's degree and, after successful completion, I would take up a position in the special materials department as plant manager. This occurred in 2013, and I have now taken over as plant manager for metal powder and hard alloy production. The knowledge and methodologies of problem solving gained in my studies help me to meet the daily challenges of my job. In addition, I am pleased to continue working on some projects with the Ruhr University Bochum and the Institute for Materials.

Although I spent my childhood in Georgsmarienhütte in the immediate vicinity of a steel mill, my desire to work in the steel industry was far from clear at that time. Technical contexts, on the other hand, have always interested me. There was little that I didn't take apart in some way and then have to try to put back together again in a functional way. So I decided to start studying mechanical engineering in Bochum in 1988. After successfully completing my intermediate diploma, I had to choose a major in 1990. From the experience I had gained so far in my studies, I particularly liked the field of materials engineering, as it provided me with practical knowledge. From the fall of 1990, I was also able to gain an insight into materials development and its practical implementation as a student assistant at the Chair of Materials Engineering.

After passing my diploma in 1994, I was given the opportunity to further expand this knowledge at the Institute of Materials in the form of a dissertation. For my later professional career, I learned here how to work on projects and investigations in an engineering manner, as well as how to summarize the results in technical reports and present them both to experts and to people from outside the field. In December 1999 I changed to the steel industry. Dörrenberg Edelstahl GmbH is a medium-sized company involved in the manufacture of tool steel, the production of stainless steel castings and, as a service provider, the heat treatment and coating of tools. Since 2003, I have been in charge of the central materials technology department there. My responsibilities range from technical customer advice, materials testing, research and development, internal and external training, central quality assurance to production support in the plant. This is where the combination of a mechanical engineer's technical understanding and the additional materials engineering knowledge I learned at the Institute of Materials in Bochum really comes into its own. That's why I've also enjoyed passing on my practical knowledge of tool technology (tool materials, heat treatment, coating) to young students as a lecturer at the Ruhr University since 2009. 

(Editor's note: Christoph Escher is an excellent rock'n'roll pianist who still occasionally helps out in the band of the Institute of Materials when needed).

After graduating from high school, I had to decide whether to study medicine or mechanical engineering. During my civilian service, I worked in the field of medical technology in a hospital and then decided to study mechanical engineering at the RUB. Already during my undergraduate studies, I decided relatively early on to specialize in the field of materials. I always really enjoyed the practical part in particular. At the institute, I particularly appreciated the opportunity to carry out student work as well as the diploma thesis on industry-related topics. After my diploma thesis, Prof. Eggeler enabled me to spend some time abroad at Northwestern Polytechnical University in X'ian, China. I came into contact with shape memory alloys early on as a result of my work as a student assistant at the Chair of WW in the context of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 459. After graduation, I also had the opportunity to do a PhD in the field of shape memory alloys. I got to know many interesting techniques and due to the excellent equipment of the institute I was able to work with many modern devices. These experiences are still useful to me today. During my 2.5-year postdoctoral period at the Institute of Materials, I completed a stay abroad at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. I was also able to establish the Medical Materials/Biomaterials group at the Chair of Materials Science. I also headed the industry transfer section of the SFB, where I was able to establish numerous important contacts for my later professional life. I still work with many of the companies from back then today. Since 2011, I have been working at the company Cortronik GmbH in Rostock-Warnemünde (Biotronik Group) in medical technology in the field of implant development and manufacturing. As Manager Stent Testing, I am responsible for the testing department and lead an interdisciplinary team of technicians and engineers. I am confronted with interesting materials problems and issues on a daily basis, and my studies and doctorate at the Institute of Materials at the RUB have prepared me very well for working life. The combination of mechanical engineering with materials has turned out to be ideal for me. The good engineering education coupled with the materials expertise makes the degree very flexible and suitable for numerous positions in industry, without being too narrowly focused on a specific industry. After all, everyone needs materials, no matter what is ultimately made from them. That's a big advantage in today's working world.

My name is Dr. Sven Hamann and I am Head of R&D/Laboratories at Foseco/Vesuvius GmbH in Borken. Foseco is one of the global market leaders for refractory products such as feeder and filter systems used in foundries and Borken is the largest production site worldwide. In my position I am responsible for the further development and manufacturing support of our products and lead four teams with a total of 23 employees. Furthermore, I am responsible for 8 laboratories, a test hall and a foundry with two furnaces for melting iron and steels. My day-to-day work mainly consists of managing my employees, deciding on raw material issues and problem-solving procedures. In addition to occupational safety and personnel issues, I am also responsible for project management and the innovative further development of our technology. 

However, before I was allowed to hold this position, I had to follow a long but very interesting path as part of my engineering education. The decision to study mechanical engineering was more of a logical choice than a decision of personal preference. Mechanical engineering sounded interesting, but if I didn't like it, I could easily change to other courses of study due to the broad scientific basis taught in this program. 

In the winter semester of 2000, I began my mechanical engineering studies at the University of Essen and belonged to the last class that was allowed to study there before the merger with the University of Duisburg. After I had "slept through" the first three months and realized at some point that studying mechanical engineering does require a lot of effort, I had to put my foot down to keep up. After four semesters, I passed my intermediate diploma at the top of my class and received a scholarship based on this achievement. 

Afterwards, I did my first student research project at the Chair of Fluid Mechanics under Prof. Dr. Franz Peters. This work allowed me for the first time an insight into the world of scientific research. After this work, I completed a semester abroad in Valencia/Spain within the framework of a Socrates-Erasmus scholarship. After that, the question arose in which field I would like to deepen my studies in mechanical engineering. Since I have always been very curious by nature, I wanted to deepen my knowledge in a highly innovative field and then decided to major in Micro-Engineering. 

In my main studies I worked as a HiWi and programmed a small part of the waste galley system in the Airbus 380. I wrote my diploma thesis in 2006 at the caesar research center in Bonn, in the Combinatorial Materials Science group with Prof. A. Ludwig. Shortly before finishing my diploma thesis, Prof. Ludwig asked me if I could imagine doing a PhD in the field of materials science. During my studies I always came across topics that I didn't really like, but I recognized the value of these areas like fluid mechanics, technical drawing, programming and materials. So I always tried to improve these weaknesses by working in the respective area. Thus, I decided to accept this offer of a doctorate. The topic of my PhD was the development of new improved Fe-Pd based ferromagnetic shape memory alloys. 

I was interested in technical contexts from a very early age and long before I graduated from high school it was clear to me that I would pursue a technical degree. I then decided on mechanical engineering and enrolled at the Ruhr University in Bochum. After my intermediate diploma, I decided to specialize in materials. The diploma was followed by a doctorate at the Chair of Materials Science, where I was able to further deepen the experimental techniques and scientific methods I had already learned during my studies. Today, I can apply a large part of these methods in my professional practice. Looking back, I can say that my time at the Chair of Materials Science and at the Institute of Materials was very formative and I look back on it with pleasure.

Since 2003 I have been working for Aluminiumwerk Unna AG, a medium-sized company that is the world market leader in the field of seamless aluminum tubes. The tubes are produced for a wide range of applications (general mechanical engineering, apparatus and plant engineering, aviation, office communication, automotive and two-wheeler, pressure vessels, textile machinery, etc.) for customers worldwide. As part of my job, I advise customers on the solution of material problems and, together with my team, translate customer requirements into production. I also supervise the manufacturing processes. A wide range of alloys and a broad spectrum of manufacturing processes from melting and casting to hot and cold forming and various heat treatments are available to meet customer requirements. A well-equipped materials laboratory with several employees supports me in my work.

Even after more than 11 years in the field of aluminum semis, I enjoy my work and there are always new things to discover. No question about it: Materials Science? What else?

After graduating from high school, I decided to study environmental engineering and resource management in Bochum. The focus of an engineering degree program on the environment already seemed to me at the time to be a viable and interesting alternative to studying mechanical engineering. At that time, environmental engineering and resource management was a young course of studies that was only offered by a few universities in this form. Already in my basic studies, I became aware of the materials department through the lectures Fundamentals of Materials and Materials in Environmental Engineering, which are closely linked to technical applications. The basic internship helped me to better understand the theoretical aspects from my studies and to experience them practically applied.

Following the basic studies, I decided to major in Sustainable Process and Environmental Engineering, as this allowed me to develop towards mechanical engineering within the UTRM program. In various lectures, I discovered the central role that materials play in the individual application areas. The application limits of the individual components are strongly determined by the properties of the materials. From this realization, I developed a great interest in the field of materials. Therefore, I applied at the chair of materials engineering as a student assistant, in order to be able to deal with this question more closely. During this time I got to know a new world of materials. From grinding and polishing in metallography, heat treatment and microscopy to round hammering, I was allowed to apply many practical processes. This allowed me to put my theoretical knowledge from the lectures into practice. In addition to these practically oriented activities, the focus in my student work was on the scientific elaboration of the individual topics. After my studies, the possibility of a doctorate arose, which I gladly accepted. As a research assistant at the Chair of Materials Engineering, I worked on the development of heat-resistant ferritic steels for application temperatures of around 900°C. In the course of this work, we succeeded in developing new materials for the production of heat-resistant ferritic steels. As part of this work, we succeeded in developing two ferritic steels with increased high-temperature strength in collaboration with industrial project partners and other research institutions. In addition, I had the opportunity to participate in several international conferences and exchange ideas with scientists from all over the world. Since January 2014, I have been working at the company Zapp Precision Metals in Schwerte. Zapp Precision Metals specializes in the cold forming of precision semi-finished products, with a focus on stainless steels as well as special alloys in the medical technology and automotive sectors. In my role as a trainee in the Quality Control department, my responsibilities include reviewing customer specifications and technical issues. I also work closely with the Research and Development department on optimizing materials and process flows. I particularly enjoy the diversity and the cooperation with the different departments and it has made the transition from university to industry easier for me.

I started studying mechanical engineering at the RUB in winter semester 02/03. Originally, I wanted to become a design engineer, like probably the majority of freshmen. The focus on materials was initially unknown to me, but the basic lecture in the first semester immediately aroused my interest in this versatile field. After some interesting conversations with the scientific staff at the Institute of Materials at the time, the classic career path at a university followed: HiWi job, degree, scientific assistant. I found the world of materials science particularly exciting: understanding and specifically adjusting the macroscopic properties of modern materials based on the complex processes in the microstructure. I have very fond memories of my time at the Chair of Materials Science. As a dedicated team of young scientists, we had access to very good equipment in the laboratories, were able to develop our ideas freely and let off steam in exchanges with international scientists (e.g. at numerous conferences). In addition to the scientific work, I particularly enjoyed the teaching. The exchange with young students never gets boring and promotes one's own understanding of the lecture content better than anything else. A great advantage of the materials discipline is its versatility. It allows you to work on varied topics throughout your career, to change professionally without having to start from scratch. In my doctoral thesis, I worked on a mechanically induced phase transformation in a binary NiTi alloy. This alloy is one of the shape memory alloys and is mainly used in medical technology, i.e. small component sizes and low temperatures (30°C body temperature). In my current job at MAN, I deal with industrial turbines and compressors made of high-temperature materials, i.e. larger component dimensions, much higher mechanical stress and temperatures up to 540°C and more. The fundamentals necessary for understanding the materials are universally applicable. After completing my doctorate, I started work as a materials engineer at MAN Diesel & Turbo SE's Oberhausen site in January 2012. Here we develop and build industrial turbines (gas and steam turbines), as well as various types of compressors and expanders. As a cross-sectional function in our small team, we support our colleagues in design and calculation with words and deeds. Starting with the selection of suitable materials for all components, determination and provision of reliable material characteristics (e.g. yield strengths but also creep data and fracture mechanical characteristic values), preparation of delivery specifications with which the input materials for our components are procured, preparation of production and test sequence plans for our sub-suppliers, remedial measures in the event of damage or production errors, right through to supporting the quality department in auditing and in production-related support for our suppliers. You deal with many different people/personalities, accompany the entire life cycle of the machines (from project planning to production to maintenance), look after very different types of machines and are responsible for all components (housing, rotor, blading, screws and other connecting elements, etc.). This keeps every day exciting and varied. Work "by the book" never actually happens. You work very close to the product and can decide or influence a lot, because often the materials are the eye of the needle: they decide on the feasibility of projects in general, can directly influence the efficiency of the machine and, last but not least, play a major role in optimizing costs. Especially in these economically uncertain times, decisive market advantages can be generated here.

I can only encourage every student to choose this exciting field of mechanical engineering! 
 
Kind regards from Oberhausen,
 
Andreas Schäfer

At school I had the advanced courses German and French, but nevertheless it became more and more clear to me that mathematics and technology could interest me much more for a professional career. So after visiting the open day at the Ruhr University in Bochum, I decided to study mechanical engineering. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I became interested in the subject area of materials, so I decided to major in materials. During my diploma and doctoral thesis I was able to learn and deepen many experimental techniques and scientific methods in the field of basic materials research of metals and also polymers. The time at the Institute of Materials was always exciting and I like to think back on it. After completing my doctoral thesis, I started working for the company VDM Metals GmbH (at that time still ThyssenKrupp VDM GmbH), where I first worked as a trainee and now as a project manager in the area of research and development. While on the one hand I worked on internal new material and further development projects in the field of titanium alloys, I was also involved in major customer-related projects, e.g. in the aerospace sector. Today I lead projects that focus on optimizing the manufacturing processes of our high-performance materials. This has given me the opportunity to go beyond materials research and delve even deeper into operational processes. My mechanical engineering degree at Ruhr University Bochum with a specialization in materials provides me with the daily tools I need to carry out my work. The decision to focus on materials has opened up a large and exciting world of work for me, which I really enjoy!

I studied mechanical engineering at the Ruhr University in Bochum from 2003 to 2008. The first semesters were dominated by basic lectures and the teaching of mainly theoretical subjects. Materials engineering appealed to me the most. Fellow students and friends were happy to tell me about their employment as research assistants (HiWis) in various areas of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. I found my way as a HiWi to the Chair of Materials Engineering. A very instructive time followed. After extensive training in metallography, microscopy and materials testing, independent, practical work was possible. The scientific supervision and support was also always given by the scientific staff during written work. In addition, numerous interdisciplinary study groups were formed at the Institute for Materials, which led to good friendships. After graduation, I was hired as a research assistant. At the same time, friends from my studies followed me to the same positions within the institute. From then on, the joint support focused on scientific activities and the processing of research projects. Fortunately for me, I was allowed to work on a very practice-oriented research project. As became apparent in the course of the 5 years of scientific work, the user-oriented coordination and problem solving gave me great pleasure. The project partners were both research institutions and engineers from industry. Due to the project structure, a large part of the responsibility was focused on the Chair of Materials Engineering. The goal was the construction and commissioning of a previously non-existent special machine and the subsequent scientific work. Extensive and modern equipment was available at the institute for the scientific work. Due to new research projects and funding approvals, this was also continuously renewed and expanded. The scientific goals could be achieved with the help of motivated technicians and a structured institute workshop. In the written summary of one's own scientific results, the friends at the chair and the supervision by the chair management were again a great help. The change from researcher to industrial activity was drastic and exciting. However, the big shock did not materialize. After a ten-month training period at GLAMAtronic, I was promoted to managing partner. In addition to the material-related questions I had learned, I have to answer a large number of general questions from the field of mechanical engineering. In addition, there is a very wide range of commercial tasks, as well as task delegation and personnel management, and the readiness to make the right decisions at short notice. In summary, I can say in retrospect that the work at the Institute for Materials prepared me very well for my current activities. Explicitly to mention are: independent and structured work, confident appearance in front of customers (e.g. through presentations on an international level), responsibility for one's actions (e.g. meeting deadlines), personnel management (e.g. coordination of Hiwis and various student work).

If you study mechanical engineering in Bochum, you are bound to hear something about shape memory alloys (FGL). Those who study materials in depth are very likely to even work with these fascinating materials. In our case, it led us to start a company. We met at the beginning of our studies, when the Collaborative Research Center 459 "Shape Memory Engineering" was in its first phase at the Institute of Materials. After student work on the production and characterization of FGL, we all worked as student assistants: André with Prof. Theisen at LWT, Christian and Burkhard with Prof. Eggeler at LWW. After graduation, we got the chance to work as research assistants at the LWW, at the LWT and in the Emmy Noether group of Prof. Wagner (now TU Chemnitz), and also here we remained faithful to the FGL. Doctorates on melt metallurgical production and simulation of FGL, a specialized laboratory on processing and collaboration in the industrial transfer of the SFB strengthened our enthusiasm for these smart materials.
Therefore, the idea of founding an "FGL company" was formed early on. In long nights with pizza, coke and beer we created a company concept; in July 2009 the time had come: Ingpuls GmbH was founded. With the support of our professors, who made it possible for us to build up the company alongside our full-time jobs, we were able to get started while we were still working on our doctorates. With success: First projects came about and we were awarded several times in business plan competitions. Whereas we initially tended to do "brainwork", focusing on solution principles and feasibility studies, we are now on the leap from being a service provider to a manufacturing company. In Bochum-Werne, we are building a complete production line for FGL. From melting to wire drawing and rolling, we are putting into practice what we learned at the institute: To incorporate the correlations between microstructure and macroscopic properties into product and material development. Particularly in the case of sensitive "smart materials", it is important to understand the processes in the material - know-how that is used in our work on a daily basis. Our customers come from a wide variety of industries. From garage tinkerers to global corporations, from automotive to medical technology, they have it all. It can happen that you wade through a cowshed in one day and then work on a satellite component. That's the best thing about our job: we get to look behind the scenes everywhere and develop innovative products with our customers. We continue to have close ties with the institute: Joint events, the supervision of student projects or a lecture on FGL bring us to the RUB again and again. Through a cooperation agreement, we can use facilities that would otherwise not be available to any start-up. Studying materials in Bochum was definitely a good decision for us, and we can recommend it without reservation!

When I began my mechanical engineering studies at the Ruhr University in Bochum in the mid-1980s after graduating from high school, the number of first-year students was comparable to today, but the proportion of women among first-year students in mechanical engineering was below 3%. These proportions are history today, even if the 50% mark has not yet been reached.
During my pre-studies internship at Siemens in Mülheim an der Ruhr, I gained an insight into the "engineering man's world" of the time, but it didn't scare me. After my basic studies, I applied for a student assistant position and was successful with the materials engineers. Now I learned to prepare metal samples, to carry out a wide variety of experiments and was able to distinguish between phases and microstructures. This activity allowed me to acquire some practical skills and materials testing knowledge in addition to the rather theoretical and dry studies, which was very helpful for me personally in my later professional life.
In the specialization, which was called "materials engineering" at that time, all the important basic knowledge about metallic materials, their properties and their associated examination and testing possibilities were taught in the lectures. Today, this spectrum has been significantly expanded to include the latest methods in analysis and simulation. The spectrum of materials has also grown due to new manufacturing and production processes. In the scientific work that had to be completed during the course of study, one could work on topics from the respective ongoing research projects as a student research project or diploma thesis, thus already making a small contribution to research. In my diploma thesis, for example, an idea was implemented to increase the corrosion resistance of tool steel without loss of wear resistance. This patented steel is now successfully used for knives and tools in corrosive environments.
After completing my studies, I became a research assistant at the Chair of Materials Engineering. My task now was to work on a funded project with industrial participation. The aim was to develop a heat treatment process for corrosion-resistant steels that would increase the hardness of the surface layer without reducing the corrosion resistance. At the end of the project, the patented Solnit® process was developed, in which nitrogen diffuses into the surface layer to strengthen it. The industrial partner still uses this process today for special rolling bearings that have to function under extreme loads. Particularly exciting moments during my time as an assistant were the trips to project meetings with the industrial partners and the trips to international conferences to present the latest results.  
After my doctorate and the end of my time at university, my wish was to take on a responsible position in industry. This is how I came to work for a company in Schwerte, the Deutsche Nickel GmbH. Here, high-alloy Fe-, Ni- and Cu-based materials are melted for special applications and processed into semi-finished products. For example, before the introduction of the euro currency, a large proportion of the cent and euro coins were melted, rolled and stamped here, also with special properties. My job was to head the Development and Quality department. On the one hand, this involves monitoring the production process by means of defined measurements and identifying and eliminating errors and deviations. On the other hand, continuous optimization and innovation should lead to better and more cost-effective products. This opens up a wide and exciting field of activity when one thinks of the large number of alloys, but also of the various production steps, starting with melting, through hot and cold forming, heat treatment, to the desired product packaging. This activity also usually involves a lot of travel to customers, but also to suppliers, because the regulations according to which the supplier has to deliver are usually determined by the quality department.
A decade ago, I returned to the Ruhr University as a senior engineer and, in addition to research and teaching, I now deal with the financial and personnel management of a department the size of a medium-sized company.
In this job, too, I benefit from my extensive training, as well as my industrial experience. As a materials engineer, at the end of your studies you have a broad knowledge of a wide range of disciplines. But the special microscopic view of materials with (many)thousandfold magnification provides the materials engineer with important information on the material history and properties that remain hidden from others - whether at university or in industry.

Even before I graduated from high school, it was clear to me that I would study mechanical engineering. Even during my school years, I was interested in the subjects of physics, mathematics and chemistry. It was more by chance that I chose the Ruhr University in Bochum. Originally, I wanted to specialize in design engineering or fluid energy machines after my intermediate diploma. However, I then decided on "materials engineering" because this subject had already interested me in my preliminary studies. In addition, the focus is rather general, so that I expected a wider range of possible career paths in the future. After my intermediate diploma, I therefore chose this specialization. For a few years I also worked as a "student assistant" at the "Chair of Materials Science". Here I also got to know the practical aspects such as sample preparation and examination as well as areas of basic research. I was then also able to carry out my diploma thesis in a practice-oriented manner. In cooperation with the then "Vereinigte Aluminium-Werke" in Bonn, I investigated age-hardening aluminum alloys as a car body material. I was always impressed by the excellent supervision at the university and the extensive equipment in the laboratories. After completing my diploma thesis, I started work on my doctorate. The topic was "Thermomechanical treatment of copper-based shape memory materials". During this time, I learned to carry out project work independently, to achieve goal-oriented research results and to summarize them. In this context, the cooperation with two institutes (mathematics and mechanics) of the University of Hannover was interesting. After completing my doctorate, I worked for about 10 years at the Schweinfurt-based company FAG (rolling bearing manufacturer). Here, the knowledge and experience I gained during my studies and doctorate were very helpful. I then worked for several years as a department head of failure analysis at FAG.

Currently, I teach as a professor at the Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences. There I represent the "Materials Engineering" and "Basic Subjects of Mechanical Engineering".

The great technical achievements of the 19th and 20th centuries have always fascinated me. This applied equally to buildings such as the elegant, filigree Brooklyn Bridge and to technical feats in mechanical engineering. That's why, after I had already completed my studies in civil engineering, I chose to take a supplementary course in mechanical engineering at the Ruhr University in Bochum. A nice conversation with Prof. Eggeler during a lecture break led to a position at the Chair of Materials Science, first as a student assistant and later as a research associate. As part of my doctoral thesis, I worked on single-crystal superalloys for aircraft turbines. I realized that it is usually progress in the field of materials that makes technical masterpieces possible and allows the ideas of ingenious engineers to be implemented. At the Institute of Materials, in addition to excellent technical equipment, I appreciated above all the pleasant family atmosphere. Furthermore, there were fantastic opportunities with a longer stay abroad at the renowned University of Cambridge and participation in international conferences. Immediately after my PhD, I went to Norway, where I have now spent several years at Statoil, where I am responsible for materials engineering in the field of new construction and modification of oil platforms, pipelines and other subsea installations. Statoil is one of the largest offshore players and operators of numerous subsea installations for oil and gas production, the technical challenges of which are often compared with those of space travel. Here, the materials engineer has a key role to play due to the extreme conditions. The combination of corrosion, pressure, temperature and external loads places high demands on materials selection and fabrication, which must be mastered with the highest degree of safety, especially with an ongoing trend toward ever greater ocean depths and reservoirs, even under Arctic conditions. With my training at the Institute for Materials, I was well equipped for my interesting and varied profession and look forward to every working day.