(Interview from 2012)

Steffi Eckold

Whenever Falk Rosenlöcher has free time, he looks at the stars. He loved astronomy even as a child; he was interested in the planets, the moons of Jupiter and space travel. Although he never wanted to be a space tourist, he has successfully reached for the stars in his professional life: the materials engineer is now branch manager at Brunel.

Two historic years feature in Falk Rosenlöcher's bio: He was born in Dresden in 1968. After training as a precision mechanic at Pentacon, he enrolled at TUD in 1990, the year of German reunification. "The reputation of this university was – and is – very good. I like the city of Dresden very much and I also wanted to stay close to my family," explains Falk Rosenlöcher.

He began a degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in materials technology. Materials technology was something he had enjoyed during his precision mechanic training. "In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the design and production of single-lens reflex cameras was consistently about substituting materials, cost savings and quality assurance," he says with a smile.

Falk Rosenlöcher takes a nuanced view of his time at the university. "In terms of content, the structure and environment were good," he notes, recalling one of his best experiences as a student: "In my geology elective, we went underground with hammers in Königstein in the Saxon Switzerland." At the same time, his student days were also a time of turmoil. Many things had to be redefined at TUD after reunification; professors' pasts were investigated. "Not everyone had a clean record."

© H. Goehler

Falk Rosenlöcher did his final-year project at the Institute for Polymer Research in Dresden. What could you do as a mechanical engineer in Dresden in 1996? "Precious little," he laughs, looking back. Most of the companies from the GDR era had been liquidated by that point. He ventured a career change and joined a newly established marketing company in Dresden. "I received complete business administration training from a businessman in Bremen – on top of the day-to-day business," he recalls. Expertise that he still draws on today at Brunel. Brunel was founded in 1995. It employs engineers and computer scientists for its business as a technology and management project partner. In 2000, the company was looking for a sales engineer for the new Dresden branch. Falk Rosenlöcher got the job. Today, as manager of the Dresden branch, he is responsible for 97 permanent engineering employees, including many former TUD students. "We hire more than ten TUD alumni every year," says Falk Rosenlöcher, saying that "the standard of graduates is high."

Guests at the 2^nd Alumni Ball who bought a raffle ticket for the TUD student raffle had the chance to win a graduate applications session, complete with industry analysis, donated by Brunel. A good application increases your chances of a rapid start to your professional career – preferably in Saxony. "For me, it's about keeping good graduates here in Saxony. The region has great potential and that potential is set to grow", says an enthusiastic Falk Rosenlöcher. To him, Saxony means innovation, hard work, culture, and a very special character, coupled with inventiveness. Dresden's culture has a particular place in his heart.

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A guided tour of the city including a climb up the Frauenkirche church tower was Falk Rosenlöcher's contribution to the TUD raffle prizes. "I learned the guided tours from my father. He's a Dresden expert and has two closets full of books about the city," he smiles. Rosenlöcher has not found the baroque ambience he experiences in Dresden anywhere else in the world. He is also positive about current development in the city. "I see the reconstruction of many baroque buildings in the center of Dresden as a great success story – and it is in part thanks to the work of many engineers."

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who lent his name to Falk Rosenlöcher's employer, was also an engineer. He designed the first ship with a metal hull, was the first to tunnel under rivers using a tunneling shield and was one of the pioneers of British railroad construction. "In the UK, Brunel is seen as a role model and a visionary. He is an example to all engineering alumni."

So graduates should reach for the stars – just like lovers of astronomy.

Contact:
Brunel GmbH
Falk Rosenlöcher