Engineer Woman Award und Young Engineer Woman Award
With the Engineer Woman Award and the Young Engineer Woman Award, Deutsche Messe annually honors outstanding women who are shaping the future of technology and industry through their innovative spirit, professional expertise, and dedication.
The awards are presented during FEMWORX at HANNOVER MESSE and honor both established female engineers and young talents who, through their ideas, projects, and personalities, provide new impetus for business, science, and society.
The Engineer Woman Award is aimed at female engineers with several years of professional experience who have achieved outstanding results in their field and serve as role models for the next generation. The Young Engineer Woman Award honors young female engineers under the age of 30 who are already demonstrating exceptional achievements at an early stage and are actively shaping the technological future.
Once again in 2026, the jury has nominated a selection of impressive individuals who are setting new standards through their commitment, professional excellence, and social impact.
The nominees for the Engineer Woman Award 2026
As Major Spacecraft Delivery Lead at Airbus Defence and Space, Annemarie Lohse is responsible for key subsystems of the European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft—the spacecraft that will enable the next generation of crewed lunar missions. In this role, she is responsible for safety-critical systems such as thermal control, consumables storage, and structure, thereby ensuring the proper functioning of essential life support systems for astronauts.
With her background in Space Systems Engineering and her experience from international space programs such as Ariane 6, she now leads multinational teams and coordinates complex interfaces between industry, ESA, and NASA. With her technical expertise and experience in international space projects, Annemarie Lohse is a shining example of female engineers who play a key role in shaping complex future technologies.
Mira Jago is the founder and CEO of the tech agency Cuckoo Coding and embodies an extraordinary combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and social responsibility. After earning a master’s degree in philosophy, she decided at age 30 to make a bold new start in the tech industry and taught herself to code.
In 2017, she founded her own agency and has since been supporting startups in the development of digital products. In addition, she is deeply committed to promoting women in the technology industry. As the head of Women Techmakers Hannover, she has been building a strong community for years, organizing mentoring programs, and creating spaces for exchange and visibility. Through her commitment, Mira Jago demonstrates how technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and social responsibility can work together.
Jessica Brieger is an engineer with a background in process engineering and industrial engineering and works as Senior Manager of Social Impact at AMG Critical Materials. In the international metals and mining industry, she combines technical expertise with social responsibility and actively advocates for greater diversity in technical professions.
In addition to her professional work, she has been volunteering for many years to support women in STEM careers. She is a founding member of the Women in Mining Germany network and is involved in mentoring within the CURIA network for women in STEM careers. As an autistic engineer, she speaks openly about neurodiversity in the workplace and advocates for greater visibility and better conditions for neurodivergent professionals.
Luciane Piovezan Fornari is an entrepreneur in the agriculture and energy sectors and is 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 and applied in more than ten countries.
As a co-founder of PlanET Biogás Brasil, she is also driving solutions for the energy utilization of organic waste, thereby making an important contribution to the energy transition. Furthermore, she is active in international networks for innovation and entrepreneurship and is particularly committed to promoting women in business.
The nominees for the Young Engineer Woman Award 2026
Norah Kimathi is a robotics engineer and co-founder of Zerobionic Africa and is considered a pioneer in humanoid robotics solutions for accessible education. She developed an AI-powered robotics system that translates spoken language into sign language nearly in real time, thereby opening up new possibilities for inclusive learning in STEM subjects.
The technology combines speech processing, edge AI, and modular robotics hardware and is already being used in the education sector in several countries. For her work, Norah Kimathi has been honored with the Presidential Innovation Award in Kenya, among other accolades.
Daphne Auer is a computer scientist committed to the responsible design of digital technologies. After completing her master’s degree with a focus on artificial intelligence, she initially worked in research on image processing and algorithmic systems before turning her attention to issues of bias and diversity in digital platforms.
In addition to her work as an IT project manager at Stadtwerke Energie Jena-Pößneck, she is politically and socially active in advocating for a more equitable digital future. Within the German Informatics Society, she actively participates in initiatives for digital education and the advancement of women in computer science.
Samantha Carbajal combines technical expertise with a strong commitment to social causes. In addition to her academic and professional work in the fields of aerospace and technology projects, she develops innovative solutions to promote education and equal opportunity.
As the founder of a startup, she develops concepts to improve children’s language education and is committed to specifically promoting multilingualism and supporting integration. In doing so, she combines technical thinking with social responsibility and develops practical solutions that open up new educational pathways.
Review 2025
Marie-Josée Turgeon receives the Engineer Woman Award
On April 3, 2025, Marie-Josée Turgeon was presented with the Engineer Woman Award at the opening ceremony of the FEMWORX career congress.
Marie-Josée Turgeon received the Engineer Woman Award 2025 for her innovative strength, leadership skills and outstanding commitment to microelectronics.
“FEMWORX celebrates the talent, leadership, and innovation of women shaping the future in technical fields. For me, the true value of the Women Engineer Award lies in how it shines a light on role models whose impact reaches far beyond themselves - inspiring the next generation, opening doors across the industry, and reminding us all that change is possible. When recognition is shared and visible, it helps move the needle toward a workplace that is more diverse, inclusive, and full of opportunity.,” comments Marie-Josée Turgeon, CEO of C2MI and recipient of the Engineer Woman Award 2025."
Myriam Erath receives the Young Engineer Woman Award
Myriam Erath is setting new standards with her innovative AI technology and her commitment to young female engineers – in recognition of which she receives the Young Engineer Woman Award 2025.
The award ceremony took place on April 4 as part of the FEMWORX Careers Congress.
"Winning the Young Engineer Award 2025 as part of femworx was more than just receiving an award – it was a moment that united visibility, courage, and community. Standing on that big stage and receiving so much positive feedback, even nationwide, showed me how vital role models in technology and entrepreneurship are. Through femworx, a strong network has grown – with inspiring women like Heike Wilson and Lisa-Marie Höcker – that continues to empower me to move forward. Since then, my company, CWO GmbH, has continued to grow: our AI now supports not only traditional order processing in mechanical engineering, but also automatically identifies and integrates spare parts based on machine documentation. This progress reminds me how powerful it is when visibility and innovation come together."
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