What do industrial engineers actually do? Book presents theses and alumni

In a highly specialized working world, companies not only need qualified specialists. Equally in demand are experts who can act and mediate between the various disciplines and thus enable the implementation of interdisciplinary projects. At the interface between technology and business, industrial engineers are ideally suited to meet these requirements.  As versatile, trained technicians* with economic know-how, they have a wide range of job opportunities on the labor market.

“However, the exact areas in which industrial engineers work are often difficult for laypersons to grasp,” says Maximilian Lackner from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, who published the book “Berufsfeld Wirtschaftsingenieure” together with his colleagues Judith Klamert-Schmid and Sabine Traxler. Lackner heads the master’s program in international industrial engineering at the university, Klamert-Schmid the bachelor’s program of the same name, and Traxler is her deputy. In the new book, the three experts present twelve selected theses and the graduates behind them. The book thus not only provides insights into the variety of topics covered in the bachelor’s and master’s projects, but also uses concrete examples to illustrate the career opportunities at the interface of technology and business.

Theses with a practical factor

The presented theses deal with practice-related issues from the focus areas of entrepreneurship and business administration in the industrial environment, digitalization, process and process engineering, as well as from other interdisciplinary topics. All graduates are also presented in short portraits and explain why they chose to study for a bachelor’s or master’s degree at Technikum. “We also wanted to show the faces behind the final theses and provide an insight into the practice-oriented projects,” says Sabine Traxler.

For example, Christoph Hiermann’s bachelor’s thesis dealt with autonomous vehicles and the economic and legal situation from the perspective of the automotive industry. The digitalization potential in the sale of value vouchers is the focus of the master’s thesis by Perrine Rapp and Wolfgang Neussner under the title “Voucher 4.0.” A technical topic, on the other hand, was chosen by Denise Wolfram-Zak, whose master’s thesis deals with 3D printing of conductive components. “The International Business and Engineering degree program offers extensive knowledge transfer about various technical and economic disciplines. Rounded off by courses that include soft skills, graduates* are excellently prepared for further careers and specialization,” she writes about her studies at the university of applied sciences.

Studying at the UASTW: An affinity for technology with a link to business

In separate chapters, the editors also shed light on the training situation and the question of how today’s students can be equipped with methods and tools to solve tomorrow’s business problems. The bachelor’s program at the Technikum focuses on teaching basic knowledge about the development of new products and production processes through to the organization of efficient processes in the management of companies. The master’s program deepens this knowledge and also prepares graduates for management tasks. “Our degree programs combine an affinity for technology with a link to business, while at the same time students learn to accompany a production process from a business perspective,” explains Lackner. In addition, both degree programs have a strong focus on international contexts.

“Theory and practice are closely interlinked within the framework of the degree programs,” adds Sabine Traxler. The three editors have also emphasized this combination in their book. It is not only for potential new students that the work offers such insights into training and career prospects. “HR representatives in companies can also get an idea of where graduates can be employed,” says Traxler. 

Industrial Engineers as a Career Field. The diversity of interface competence. Edited by Sabine Zangl, Judith Klamert-Schmid, Maximilian Lackner; Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden, 2021; 199 pages, 32 b/w illustrations, 6 color illustrations, softcover ISBN: 978-3-658-32620-3 (EUR 71.95), eBook ISBN 978-3-658-32621-0 (54.99).
Download book cover at the following link (copyright notice: Springer Gabler):
https://cloud.technikum-wien.at/s/nMRcwbMm9WjJG5M