On the evening of 26 September Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martina Zimmermann, Chair of Materials Mechanics and Failure Analysis at TU Dresden, took part in the panel discussion “Opportunities and Challenges for a Sustainable World?” alongside Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Beckmann (TU Dresden), Adrian Willig (VDI), and Rebecca Bliklen (Ramboll). The discussion was moderated by Ina Christiansen (VDI Women in Engineering Network) and focused on the responsibilities of technical disciplines in shaping a sustainable future and the contribution of engineering research to societal transformation processes.

The following day, Prof. Zimmermann led the workshop “Digitalization and Traditional Engineering Education – How Engineers Can Contribute to Addressing Climate Change.” Around 50 participants explored how digital technologies, open research data, and new learning formats are transforming engineering education and enabling sustainable solutions.

In this context, Prof. Zimmermann also presented ongoing research activities at the intersection of digitalization, materials science, and sustainability. These included the DFG-funded projects DaMiC (Data-Driven Alloy and Microstructure Design of Sustainable Metallic Structural Materials, SPP 2489) and D³ (Data-Driven Design of Resilient Metamaterials, GRK 2868). She also highlighted the NFDI-MatWerk initiative, the thematic focus of the German Society for Materials Science (DGM), and the Fraunhofer flagship project ORCHESTER.

Prof. Zimmermann emphasized how impressed she was by the energy and diversity among the participants:

So many inspiring women sharing their expertise, perspectives, and experiences – it’s truly motivating. I would be delighted to see these networking activities continue.

The VDI Women’s Congress once again proved to be a vibrant platform for exchange and inspiration, underscoring the importance of visibility, diversity, and collaboration in advancing sustainable engineering.