Head of the Sustainable Chemistry Business Area

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I AM: Head of Sustainable Chemistry Business Unit

"Every day is different, but the common thread is always the same: putting innovative, more sustainable solutions for the chemical industry into practice."

Dr Christine Rasche | Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

Dr. Christine Rasche ...

has always found it appealing to understand nature’s chemical resources and harness them for the chemical industry. After completing her doctorate in plant and wood chemistry, she was able to join the Fraunhofer CBP directly as a research scientist, drawing on her biorefinery background. Today, she heads the sustainable chemistry business unit at Fraunhofer IGB.

The careers interview

Food chemistry involves a great deal of analysis. I initially found this detective work very exciting, but I could not see myself in the typical career profile, for example at the State Office for Health and Food Safety. Fortunately, TU Dresden has a strong focus on wood and plant chemistry. I found, and still find, the deeper understanding of what nature offers us chemically and the utilisation of our biogenic resources for the chemical industry very appealing.

When, towards the end of my PhD, I had the opportunity to transfer a process to pilot scale, I realised that larger plants hold an incredible fascination for me. I was able to combine this wonderfully with my biorefinery background at the Fraunhofer CBP in Leuna and start there directly as a research associate and project manager. This involved a very broad range of tasks and a correspondingly steep learning curve. These included

Acquisition of projects: writing applications for third-party funding as well as proposals for industrial customers,
Project work: developing processes independently or understanding the customer's process, technical work with the technicians and engineers in the pilot plants, analysing data and writing reports
Building a network: I was able to attend conferences, trade fairs and networking events at an early stage and represent the entire centre there.

As Head of the sustainable chemistry business area, I lead one of a total of three business areas at Fraunhofer IGB. My main responsibilities here are to:

act as the interface between customers and our scientific departments at all Fraunhofer IGB locations.
identify the current needs of companies in the chemical industry and obtain relevant market information.
maintain our network and represent the institute at relevant events organised by our networks.
represent the business area on committees and act as the link to ministries.
contribute to acquiring public funding for research and development projects.
help shape the institute’s strategic direction.

In addition to my chemical background, I have a very broad range of knowledge that I acquired at the various stages of my Career. The most important are

Project management and coordination
Target-group-oriented presentation;
Strong communication skills: listening attentively and identifying the actual needs of the person I am speaking to;
Researching market data and placing it in the context of my own questions;
Problem-solving methods (breaking things down into manageable smaller chunks).

In fact, there is no typical working day for me. I travel a great deal to our other institute sites, to clients or to networking events. I do not work in a fixed team; rather, my role is to have an overarching understanding of the respective expertise and projects of the specialist departments and then to connect them in a targeted way or involve them jointly in projects. I spend a lot of time on the phone with our scientists. Sometimes it is about electrochemistry, sometimes about setting up a protein platform. The range is enormous, and that is what makes it so enjoyable. I have a very open and warm relationship with most of my colleagues, particularly when we happen to go on a business trip together.

My degree certainly gave me a very solid technical foundation and taught me disciplined self-organisation. However, many of the skills I now need or needed when starting my career were neglected. While some of these are undoubtedly very specific, for example, more in-depth knowledge of project management could be helpful for all graduates. On the other hand, my Chemistry degree was anything but boring as it was.

What excites me about my work is the variety: chemist, manager, lawyer, leader, events manager, communications expert, business developer – these aspects are all part of my job, sometimes all in a single day. I have complete freedom to shape my work: I can set thematic priorities myself, based on discussions with industry and conference participation. I organise my working day myself, choose the relevant events and networks, and consider which activities are necessary to position the institute effectively. I can always rely on fantastic colleagues who advise and support me with the necessary in-depth expertise.

Combining specialist technical knowledge with skills in management and leadership opens up many career opportunities, such as senior positions at non-university research institutions and in the research and development departments of the chemical industry.

Be brave: at first, I found it difficult to move beyond the comfort zone of my professional expertise. Ultimately, during two years working at a consultancy, I learned to immerse myself in a new problem every few weeks or sometimes days, occasionally in entirely new subject areas, and to leave that zone behind considerably. I make the most use of these experiences in my current position.

Gender notice

^{For reasons of readability, the simultaneous use of gender-specific forms of language is dispensed with. All references to persons apply to all genders.}

I AM: Head of Sustainable Chemistry Business Unit

Dr. Christine Rasche ...

The careers interview

Why did you choose your field? What appealed to you about it?

What was your entry into the profession like?

What are you doing today? What responsibilities do you have as Head of the Sustainable Chemistry Business Unit?

What knowledge and qualities should one have for your field of work?

Describe a typical working day. Are there unforeseen events that require your attention? How do you work with colleagues? Do you work as part of a team?

To what extent does your working day today differ from that during your studies/PhD? To what extent did your studies/PhD prepare you for your current job?

What inspires you about your work? Are there any particular challenges?

What career opportunities are available in your field?

If someone wanted to pursue the same career path, what would you advise them?

Gender notice

Chemistry for a better world

I AM: Head of Sustainable Chemistry Business Unit

Dr. Christine Rasche ...

The careers interview

Why did you choose your field? What appealed to you about it?

What was your entry into the profession like?

What are you doing today? What responsibilities do you have as Head of the Sustainable Chemistry Business Unit?

What knowledge and qualities should one have for your field of work?

Describe a typical working day. Are there unforeseen events that require your attention? How do you work with colleagues? Do you work as part of a team?

To what extent does your working day today differ from that during your studies/PhD? To what extent did your studies/PhD prepare you for your current job?

What inspires you about your work? Are there any particular challenges?

What career opportunities are available in your field?

If someone wanted to pursue the same career path, what would you advise them?

Gender notice