As a process engineer and mountain rescuer, Simone Radl not only breaks with traditional gender stereotypes, but also shows how persistence and stamina pave the way to peak performance – both at Semperit and on the mountain.
When an accident happens in the mountains, it is often a matter of life or death. This also applies to the mountain rescuers themselves, who work on a voluntary basis. Simone Radl is familiar with such extreme experiences. The passionate climber is deputy regional manager of the Lower Austria/Vienna Mountain Rescue – and the first woman in this leading position in the almost 130-year history of the organization. She says the risks have increased in recent years: “Weather conditions in the mountains change rapidly today. Climate change is making our work more dangerous: less snow, severe storms and heat waves force us to constantly adapt. And mountaineers often don’t prepare for this adequately.” Radl knows the mountains and their challenges well. For her, they are a source of strength and inspiration, but also a place where stamina and persistence are required. “You have to deal with setbacks and find ways that may initially seem insurmountable – this applies to the mountains just as much as it does to work.”
“You have to deal with setbacks and find ways that may initially seem insurmountable – this applies to the mountains just as much as it does to work.”
Simone Radl, Teamlead Central Process Development
Simone Rad lhas been working in the field of process development and optimization at Semperit since 2018 and now heads a team of four. She is the point of contact for product manufacturing processes, especially vulcanization, as well as for material-specific questions: “We are jointly researching how manufacturing processes can be made cheaper, faster or more energy-efficient.” This involves a “highly dynamic day at work” between the laboratory, production, desk work and meeting rooms.
Fascination with science
Simone Radl’s enthusiasm for the development of new materials dates back to her days as a student at the University of Leoben: “I always wanted to know how materials are structured and how they can be modified.” During her doctoral thesis, she conducted research on intelligent polymer solutions that can be degraded under UV light and are therefore recyclable. Two patents are testament to her innovative spirit. However: “The breakthrough only came after years of hard work. We had phases when nothing seemed to work. That’s exactly when I learned to stick with it, to think outside the box and find new solutions.”
Women like Simone Radl are still in the minority in both process engineering and mountain rescue. She is driven by the desire to get more women involved in these fields: “Women are great technicians, and women are great mountaineers. I am proof that it is worth having more confidence in yourself.”
Simone Radl was portrayed in the ORF television program “Heimat großer Töchter und Söhne” (Home of great daughters and sons): Kunststofftechnikerin und Bergretterin Simone Radl (Niederösterreich) - Heimat großer Töchter und Söhne - ORF ON
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