DI Dr. Gerhard Grüll, Holzforschung Austria
DI Dr. Gerhard Grüll, Holzforschung Austria
"The study of wood economics at BOKU gave me a very good knowledge base, but above all broadened my horizons in literature and science to be able to look beyond the directly taught course content. Since I was already working at “Holzforschung Austria” at the same time, I was able to choose the right specializations for me with electives and especially in the doctoral program. These included English (offered by the BOKU ZIB) and building physics at the TU Vienna. In professional life, it is indispensable to keep learning, which in my case was very helpful mainly in the areas of project management and team leadership in order to be able to hold my own in a management position."
DI Dr. Michaela Eder, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
DI Dr. Michaela Eder, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
„I am currently leading the research group "Plant Material Adaptation" in the Department of Biomaterials at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany. We are interested in the adaptation mechanisms and strategies of plants to (extreme) environmental conditions and the effects on the plant material. We often collect our samples together with ecologists in the natural habitat of the plants. The goal is to gain a better understanding of structure-property-function relationships for the organism but also for applications. Some systems offer potential for the development of bio-inspired materials. The mix of basic and application-oriented contents of the study of forestry and wood economics provided a very good basis for my current work. Some of the knowledge is directly applicable and much helps in the search for specialized knowledge from a wide variety of fields. In particular, studying at BOKU was the first big step towards developing problem-solving skills and creativity.“
DI Christian Tippelreither, Holzcluster Steiermark
DI Christian Tippelreither, Holzcluster Steiermark
"The ability to find holistic solutions to technical and economic problems is an essential skill for me in my everyday professional life, for which I was very well prepared by the interdisciplinary nature of the bachelor's and master's degree programs. In my professional career, I started classically as a technologist in the wood industry and, with continuous further training, I have now taken on a task with management responsibility. Throughout all these professional steps and challenges, I could always fall back on the contents of my studies, which were constantly expanded by my professional experience. Constant learning and openness to new things is an essential success factor for further professional development, even after graduation!"
DI Hannes Plackner, HS Timber Group
DI Hannes Plackner, HS Timber Group
"I am a huge fan of BOKU. We learned about wood from the molecular level, all the way up to 100m supporting structures. At the same time, our economic education is impressive. Even the basic knowledge is always useful to me in my job today because the innovation cycles are getting faster and faster, even in the wood industry, and you have to understand the connections. And there is something else at BOKU, quite apart from grades and exams: Friendship, collegiality and the freedom to develop yourself."
DI Dr. Johannes Leitner, Mondi AG
DI Dr. Johannes Leitner, Mondi AG
"The study program Wood Technology and Management formed an excellent basis for my career in the pulp and paper sector due to its thematic scope in combination with the basics on wood as material. After the master's thesis, I took up a position as a junior researcher at Wood K plus and started working at Mondi's Frantschach site. During my doctoral studies in process engineering at Graz University of Technology, I dived deep into specific issues of pulp and paper technology, and in 2016, after more than six years in Frantschach, I moved to Mondi AG."