Soapbox Science 2022

Soapbox: What was the key moment that brought you to the place where you are today?

Alexandra Birkmaier: Like any other student, I tried to boost my CV and gain experience by working at different companies part-time besides my studies. For me, those companies reached from start-ups to multinational corporations, and I was not very happy in both of these areas. The start-up world was very dynamic and motivating, but for my taste often lacked some important foundations and professionalism. On the other hand, the work within larger companies often seemed very inefficient and slow. This awoke my inner desire to do something about it and bring some innovation and dynamics into their operational practices and processes. This drive for changing the status quo is what brought me to Fraunhofer Austria and the field of applied research. For one, I can work on innovative logistics and supply chain concepts in industrial projects, for the other I can work on future-oriented new concepts in scientific projects together with my colleagues.

Soapbox: What is your scientific superhero power? Or what superhero would you be?

AB: In scientific work, both detailed and thorough work as well as goal-oriented and structured thinking are demanded – the superhero power is to know, when which of the two is needed (as far as my research goes, there is no such superhero out there, yet 😉). As a scientist one has the responsibility to examine all sides of a problem and to argue with care and thoroughness. The right level between detail and pragmatism needs to be regularly re-evaluated throughout a project, which can last for several years and include many partners from industry and science. Therefore, one should not underestimate the significance of good project management and social skills. When planning and executing a research project, conceptual, structured, and goal-oriented thinking and acting are relevant in order to not get lost in details and reach the project goals.

Soapbox: What is the most exciting aspect of your research?

AB: It is the fact, that I am free to do research on topics I like and where I want to make an impact. For me personally, that is data-driven sustainability in the context of supply networks. What I like most about research projects is the fact, that many partners from different backgrounds come together and discuss the same problem – and that in this diverse setting new ideas can emerge, which one did not think of in the first place. I think it is important and in fact crucial to get industry and science sitting at one table and discussing certain topics. Doing that, research does not lose touch to real-world problems and both parties can learn from each other.

Soapbox: What motivates you to give a talk in Soapbox Science?

AB: What motivates me to talk in Soapbox Science is to reach people of diverse backgrounds and to encourage them to overcome possible fears. Everyone can and should just try a career in science or applied science, if they think it could be interesting for them. I am looking forward to showing some aspects of my everyday work and find some other science enthusiasts willing to make an impact. Moreover, I want to encourage especially women and people from different cultural backgrounds, as in my experience there are still very few, even in the scientific environment. I am strongly convinced that diversity leads to more creative and better results to complex problems.

Soapbox: In these pandemic days, what funny/interesting experiments, books, talks or podcasts can you recommend to our audience?

AB: Start a new hobby – for me, it was mountain biking. It is a challenging sport, requiring both endurance, balance, and technical precision. And what I like most about it is the fact, that one is close to nature, as most of the trails are in forests or on meadows. Also, I can really recommend the app “Blinkist”, where many books from different fields, like e.g. technology, psychology, or investments, are summarized into key messages and one can either read them or listen to them.