Marvin Emde: From university to the stage – the path to the Talent Award

Why don't you tell us what you were doing at the time of your Talent Award? What was the focus of your Bachelor's thesis and where has your path taken you since then?

Marvin Emde: At the beginning of 2020, I studied mechanical engineering at the University of Kassel, specializing in materials and design. I wrote my bachelor's thesis “Potentials for die cast components through wall thickness optimization” in the field of foundry technology.

Today I work as a design engineer in concept development for electric drives at Volkswagen. There I work on concept designs for e-drives, among other things. I also design cast components so that I can contribute my experience in casting – without being directly involved in the foundry industry.

What was your first thought when you were named the winner?

Emde: I was overwhelmed to be the winner of the first Talent Award. I was delighted that my work was so appreciated and that I was given the opportunity to present it to an international audience of experts at EUROGUSS.

Unfortunately, you were not able to take full advantage of the profit.

Emde: The coronavirus pandemic began shortly after EUROGUSS 2020, which was a big change for everyone. Winning the award would have given me the opportunity to present my work at CHINA DIECASTING in Shanghai – I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to the pandemic and the associated global situation.

How did you prepare for the pitch in front of the specialist audience at EUROGUSS?

Emde: The pitch was my first English presentation in front of a large audience, which is why I was not only looking forward to it, but also had respect for the whole thing. In preparation, I came up with concise sentences to get to the heart of the matter. I used these as a guide during the presentation to convey clear messages.

I also presented my presentation to friends and family members to get feedback from people outside my field. This allowed me to check whether the concise content of the Bachelor's thesis could be understood by someone who had not studied the subject.

What did you take away from this experience?

Emde: It was a challenge to present over a year's work in just a few minutes, covering all the important points and still remaining comprehensible. The good preparation and the exchange with fellow students and supervisors in the department helped me a lot.
In addition, it is of course nice when the effort of a Bachelor's thesis is seen and rewarded. It was also certainly a valuable point on my CV when applying for jobs as an engineer, as it opened up many interesting interviews.

What originally inspired you to work in the foundry industry and what motivates you to continue working in this field?

Emde: Originally, I hadn't planned to specialize in this area. My interest was sparked by an exciting course at university that dealt with casting design. The topic fascinated me so much that I attended further courses in the field of casting technology and eventually wrote my Bachelor's thesis in this area.

I am particularly enthusiastic about the in-depth know-how for the design and production of highly complex cast components. The foundry industry is extremely diverse – from small furniture components to complete large cast rear end carriages. It offers numerous exciting topics ranging from component development to materials and process technology to quality assurance.