More efficiency and less CO₂ with data analysis

»Maths and science, logical thinking, has always come quite naturally to me,« says Katja Fröhlingsdorf. However, studying maths seemed too boring for her. You can go in for mechanical engineering if you want to develop a specific product, the young woman thought after graduating from high school. Her affinity for data and numbers helped her to master the demanding mechanical engineering degree programme specialising in automotive engineering at RWTH Aachen University. »I'm not a typical car mechanic, but the field is very interesting. Almost everyone has a car, it's a lot about technology - and it's an area that is well funded by the university,« says Fröhlingsdorf. Accordingly, there are opportunities for student jobs.

After completing her master's degree, Katja Fröhlingsdorf initially worked as a senior engineer at Streetscooter, where she agreed to do her doctorate with the founder, Professor Achim Kampker. But Kampker left the company, and the plans were initially abandoned. »But it was clear to me from the very beginning of my studies that I wanted to leave with a doctorate,« says Fröhlingsdorf.

Text: Mathias Heerwagen | Photos: Robert Bosch

She went back to university and earned her doctorate under Professor Stefan Pischinger on an FVV project on the topic ›Automated separation and classification of interior noise components of electric vehicles‹. Acoustics is very data-driven, every vibration can be transferred into numbers and images; this data-driven factor is an advantage for her. »I was attracted to the topic because it is very specialised and yet affects us all. Almost everyone can hear, and the result won't disappear in a drawer,« explains Fröhlingsdorf. Although, in most cases, it is the senior engineers who handle communication between the institute and the FVV, she finds the collaboration with the research association to be very constructive. And: »It is great that FVV has its own funding programme in place if there are no public funds available,« says the engineer.

Socialising made easy

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many conferences were cancelled. As the situation improved, the doctoral student presented her latest results at various conferences, including the DAGA Annual Conference on Acoustics. At the FVV Transfer + Networking Event | Autumn 2022, she gave a well-received presentation that opened doors. »If you deliver a good presentation, it makes it easier to connect with colleagues from the industry. People just come up to you.« In any case, it is very easy to socialise at the networking and transfer events. People know each other from the industry and are open to new topics and people.

The network has always been the strength of the FVV, and Katja Fröhlingsdorf too has benefited from it: even during her PhD, she was in contact with Bosch and received helpful tips. Her graduation day marked the end of a journey: Professor Kampker was the chair of her doctoral examination committee. With the ›Dr.-Ing.‹ in front of her name, she eventually received several job offers from technology companies. »They were all very interesting positions, but Bosch offered the best overall package,« explains the newly graduated engineer, who still lives in Aachen but commutes to the Bosch site in Immenstadt in the Allgäu every two weeks.

Efficient supply chains

At Bosch, Fröhlingsdorf works on production strategies for different brake systems, including for alternative drives. But that has nothing to do with the acoustics topic from the doctorate? »No, but it's also very much about data analysis and figures. That's why it fits well.« She and her colleagues plan the global production network for the next eight years based on forecasts from their sales colleagues. »One example: I look at the machining process for the aluminium housing of the various brake systems and help decide how much needs to be invested at which of the ten production sites worldwide in order to meet the forecast demand.« A task with great responsibility. Despite relatively accurate forecasts for the next two years, predictions are also fraught with uncertainty - it is important to keep an eye on possible consequences and scenarios. In the future, AI could automate the necessary data analysis. In an interdisciplinary research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), research activities have been underway since early 2025 to strengthen resilience in global production networks. In addition to Bosch and other industrial partners, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and RWTH Aachen University have also been involved in this project called ›FENI-X‹.

The young woman does not currently have a specific plan for the future: »I am ready for whatever is to come.« However, she is clear about one thing: »I definitely want to do something useful and help make the world a better place. For example, as I am doing now at Bosch with optimised supply chains that thanks to increased efficiency produce less CO₂.« She is happy to continue in the direction of data science and modelling, preferably with a research connection. Perhaps even a teaching role? »I could imagine that for later, because I believe that sharing knowledge is a powerful driver of progress.« It's clear that Katja Fröhlingsdorf is passionate about a good cause. //