For nearly 90 years, it has stood for special achievements on the part of young engineers in the fields of technology and science: In addition to the initials, “VDI”, the Association of German Engineers’ Ring of Honour will this year include the inscription: Dr.-Ing. Simone Oehler, 2017. The head of testing at med-tech company Ottobock in Duderstadt was deemed worthy of this award by the VDI Society Technologies of Life Sciences thanks to her work and commitment in the field of orthopaedic technology. The presentation of the award was held in Düsseldorf on 16 November.

The area of biomechanics has played a key role in Dr.-Ing. Oehler’s entire professional career. She successfully completed her studies in mechanical engineering with a graduate engineering degree that included a focus on biomedical technology in 2005 at the Technical University of Berlin, where she worked as a researcher until 2010 and also completed her doctorate. The results of her doctoral thesis, “Mobility testing in transfemoral amputees” later served as the foundation for the project “Measuring technology as the basis for gait pattern optimisation”, which received the Innovation Award from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research in 2010.

While carrying out her research, Oehler supported the scientific exchange between doctoral candidates as a volunteer at the Centre for Innovative Health Technology at the TU Berlin. As a member of the international career platform Femtec GmbH, she has been working to promote the role of women in engineering as well as in scientific degree courses since that time. Oehler also joined the VDI working group for “biomedical technology” in 2005.

“Through her work, Ms Oehler has undoubtedly made one of the most valuable engineering contributions to the field of orthopaedic technology in the last 30 years,” emphasised Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marc Kraft, Chairman of the VDI Society Technologies of Life Sciences, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Bergmann of the Charité university clinic in Berlin and Julius Wolff of the Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration.

The award was presented pursuant to a decision of the board of the VDI and formed the highlight of the annual board meeting at the Maritim Hotel in Düsseldorf. In addition to Dr.-Ing. Oehler, the committee also honoured two further scientists: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rüdiger Detzer received the VDI’s badge of honour for his achievements in the field of ventilation and air conditioning technology. Dipl.-Ing. Arnold Brunner was named an associate member of the VDI for his work in the specialist area of HVAC and clean room technology.