Equal opportunity and diversity

At Fraunhofer FIT, we attach great importance to equal opportunities and diversity. Our success is based on the diversity of our employees, who contribute to our progress with their unique experiences, perspectives and talents.

We promote an inclusive corporate culture in which everyone is given the same opportunities to develop professionally and personally.

Discrimination and prejudice have no place at our company – instead, we focus on appreciation and respect. Together, we create a working environment that enables innovation and creativity and in which everyone feels welcome and valued.

Here are three exemplary development paths from our colleagues at Fraunhofer FIT.

Anja is an expert in Human-Centered Engineering & Design (HCED) and the driving force behind several research projects and activities in the fields of digitalization and sustainability. Since joining Fraunhofer FIT in 2011, she has had an impressive career. As the first TALENTA graduate at FIT in 2014 and as a research manager and group leader, she has made a decisive contribution to the further development of her department, establishing herself at Fraunhofer FIT as an expert in circular economy and actively engaging with small and medium-sized enterprises by developing hands-on approaches for sustainable solutions. In doing so, she supports companies in analyzing their circular maturity and identifying digital approaches that enable the transition to a more sustainable future. As a TÜV-certified sustainability manager, she not only raises awareness and qualification for sustainability issues in companies, but also in international research projects and throughout the institute.

Lisa has been working as a research assistant at Fraunhofer FIT since 2022 and deals with blockchain and Web3 from the perspective of innovation research. She is currently doing her doctorate on the added value of blockchain for companies and new business models in Web3. With her experience as a moderator of workshops on process optimization in industry, Lisa not only brings in-depth methodological knowledge to our workshops, but also builds bridges between technology and business and helps companies to successfully integrate digital technologies. She looks after the community around the Blockchain Reallabor and Blockchain.NRW and is the contact person for events. As a participant in the Fraunhofer TALENTA program for the promotion of women in applied science, she has a promising career in science and business ahead of her. 

Britta Essing is an expert in the field of usability engineering and human-centered design with over 27 years of experience in practice and science. As head of department at Fraunhofer FIT and honorary professor for "human-centered digitalization" at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, she has played a key role in shaping the development of this field. With her work on over 200 projects for various industries and her active contribution to international standards and guidelines, she is a recognized authority in this field. In addition to her academic work, Prof. Dr. Essing is passionate about researching ethics in the metaverse and leads the new research focus "Humability". Her pioneering contributions to user-centered design not only inspire her peers, but also serve as a role model for the next generation of researchers