Hannover, Germany. The independent jury of the FEMWORX Congress Advisory Board has announced the nominees for the Engineer Woman Award and the Young Engineer Woman Award 2026. With these awards, Deutsche Messe AG honors outstanding women in STEM professions as part of HANNOVER MESSE: women who drive technological innovation through their work while also serving as role models for others pursuing careers in technical fields.

The nominated candidates represent a wide range of disciplines - from aerospace engineering and robotics to sustainable energy and raw materials solutions, as well as digital innovation and inclusive education. Through their projects and professional achievements, they make significant contributions to technological advancement in STEM. At the same time, they are actively committed to increasing diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity, for example through mentoring, community engagement, or initiatives supporting underrepresented groups. Through their public presence, lectures, publications, and network activities, they also help raise the visibility of technical topics and inspire more people to pursue careers in STEM.

Nominees for the Engineer Woman Award 2026

Annemarie Lohse (Airbus Defence and Space) serves as Major Spacecraft Delivery Lead, responsible for key subsystems of the European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft—the vehicle enabling the next generation of crewed lunar missions. In this role, she oversees safety-critical systems such as thermal control, consumables storage, and structural components, ensuring the functionality of essential life-support systems for astronauts. With her technical expertise and experience in international space projects, Annemarie Lohse exemplifies engineers who play a key role in shaping complex future technologies.

Mira Jago (Cuckoo Coding GmbH) is the founder and CEO of a tech agency and represents a non-traditional path into the technology sector. After completing a master’s degree in philosophy, she transitioned into tech at the age of 30 and taught herself to code. In 2017, she founded her own agency and has since supported startups in developing digital products. In addition, she is highly committed to advancing women in tech and builds networks and mentoring opportunities through initiatives such as Women Techmakers Hannover.

Jessica Brieger (AMG Critical Materials N.V.) combines technical expertise with strong social engagement. With a background in chemical engineering and industrial engineering, she works as Senior Manager Social Impact in the international metals and mining industry. Alongside her professional role, she is actively involved in supporting women in STEM and is a founding member of the network Women in Mining Germany. As an autistic engineer, she also advocates publicly for greater visibility of neurodiversity in technical professions.

Luciane Piovezan Fornari (Fornari Indústria / PlanET Biogás Brasil) is an entrepreneur in the agriculture and energy sectors and one of the leading voices for bioenergy and sustainable industrial innovation in Brazil. As the founder of Fornari Indústria, she developed biosafety technologies for the food industry that are now used internationally. As co-founder of PlanET Biogás Brasil, she also advances solutions for converting organic waste into energy, making a significant contribution to the energy transition.

Nominees for the Young Engineer Woman Award 2026

Norah Kimathi (Zerobionic) is a robotics engineer and co-founder of Zerobionic Africa. She developed an AI-powered robotics system that translates spoken language into sign language almost in real time, opening up new possibilities for inclusive learning in STEM education. The technology combines speech processing, edge AI, and modular robotics hardware and is already being used in educational settings in several countries.

Daphne Auer (Gesellschaft für Informatik / Stadtwerke Energie Jena-Pößneck) is a computer scientist committed to the responsible development of digital technologies. After completing her master’s degree with a focus on artificial intelligence, she worked on topics including bias and diversity in digital platforms. In addition to her role as an IT project manager, she is actively involved in initiatives within the Gesellschaft für Informatik that promote digital education and support women in computer science.

Samantha Carbajal (Leibniz University Hannover / Airbus Bremen / Thilio) combines technical expertise with strong social commitment. Alongside her academic and professional work in the aerospace sector, she develops innovative solutions to promote education and equal opportunity. As the founder of a startup, she works on concepts to improve children's language education and is committed to fostering multilingualism and supporting integration.

With the Engineer Woman Award, Deutsche Messe honors women in STEM professions with several years of professional experience who demonstrate outstanding achievements in their field and actively shape the technological development of their industries. The Young Engineer Woman Award recognizes women under the age of 30 who stand out early in their careers through exceptional achievements and innovative projects.

The winners of both categories will be announced at the FEMWORX Career Congress on 23 and 24 April.

“The nominated talents impressively demonstrate how diverse and international the contributions of women in technical professions are today. They drive innovation while also making a vital contribution to inspiring more women to pursue careers in engineering and technology,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe AG.

About FEMWORX

As part of HANNOVER MESSE, the FEMWORX Career Congress will take place on 23 and 24 April 2026. Under the motto “Grow Together. Rise Higher.” the platform brings together women along their entire career journey – from entry-level to leadership positions. Participants can expect a combination of expert keynotes, hands-on training, and numerous opportunities for exchange and networking. FEMWORX is the leading platform for visibility, orientation, and empowerment of women in industry.

About HANNOVER MESSE

HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for the manufacturing industry. Around 3,500 exhibiting companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical, and digital industries, as well as the energy sector, present solutions for a competitive and sustainable industry. The main exhibition areas include automation & digitalization, energy & industrial infrastructure, and research & technology transfer. Artificial intelligence runs like a common thread through all exhibition areas. A diverse conference program complements the exhibition. The next edition of HANNOVER MESSE will be held from 20-24 April 2026, in Hanover, Germany. Partner Country: Brazil.