The ten finalists of the second “Engineer of the Year” competition in Croatia are known, exceptional women who, by their example, career path and personality, can be an inspiration to young generations of girls for STEM studies and professions in STEM. This year’s selection for “Engineer of the Year” will be held on May 8 in Zagreb, organized by the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Kroatien) and its partners.
The turnout was exceptional this year as well, with more than 70 applications from female engineers from all over Croatia. The finalists are female engineers from various engineering branches (from electrical engineering to construction, geology…), and their career paths are very inspiring and diverse.
It was diversity that was the basic criterion when selecting the finalists, and the goal was to include various branches of the economy and different profiles of female engineers, both by education and age, as well as by career paths. The finalists of the second “Engineer of the Year” contest are:
● IVANA ABRAMOVIĆ, Product Development Project Engineer, Kraš
● LADA BOROVINA KOVJANIĆ, Senior Software Engineer, mStart plus
● VLATKA JAJETIĆ, Head of the Service for processing cyber incidents and security management, Carnet
● IVANA JAZBEC, Project Manager, Intea
● MARINA MEDIĆ, Electric motor designer and manager of investment projects, Končar – MES
● NIVES MUSTAPIĆ, Head of Robotics, Codel
● ANDREA PIRŠA ILIĆ, Head of the Center of Excellence for Data and Artificial Intelligence, A1
● MAJA TRSTENJAK, Head of the Logistics Laboratory and senior assistant at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Shipbuilding
● MARINA VANJEK, is an expert in geological development of deposits, INA
● ŽELJKA VARJAČIĆ, Construction Project Manager, Spar
Stefanie Ziska, director of the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK):
“I am glad that we are holding this competition for the second time in Croatia, and the high number of applications and the support of our partners shows that the project is well recognized. The aim of the competition is to prove that there are female engineers who are excellent in the STEM field and who can be role models for young girls. In this way, we want to raise awareness that young, educated women in Croatia can certainly build a top career and have a bright future.”
Medeja Lončar, director of Siemens Croatia:
“At Siemens, we know from our own experience how important openness to equality is for progress. Just last year, five of the top 12 innovators at Siemens were women. Also, research shows that teams in which men and women are equally present are more successful, innovative and profitable. Moreover, at Siemens we stand for ‘technology for a purpose’, believing that it represents the solution to the biggest challenges of our time. And for the development of such innovations, we need all available talents, so we must encourage women to develop and continue their education and career in that direction.”
Ten finalists, “one leader of the generation” The focus of the “Engineer of the Year” contest is not only career achievements, but the potential of the finalists to be role models and inspiration for young girls. The main motive of the election is not competition, but inspiration and encouragement to young generations to choose engineering professions for their future careers in order to contribute to the development of Croatian society. Announcement of “Engineer of the Year” in May The official announcement of “Engineer of the Year” will take place in Zagreb on May 8 within the framework of the German-Croatian Economic Forum. The initiative is supported by companies that recognized the importance of this choice due to the challenges on the labor market: Siemens Hrvatska, Končar, mStart plus, Harburg Freudenberger Belišće, Kraš, Nexe, Scheer Adriatic, Rimac Technology, Adecco, Coca Cola, Westin and poso hr.
Source: AHK