Technical perspective | Khadija Sarquah (ABCircular) 
Khadija Sarquah focused on gender and social sustainability issues in additive manufacturing. Her contribution emphasized that gender-related questions in manufacturing should not be considered only at the level of the formal workplace. They also extend across the wider value chain and may include occupational risks, chemical exposure, toxicity-related concerns, and broader social vulnerability in mining and processing contexts. The discussion highlighted that women and men may be affected differently depending on the type of work, exposure conditions, access to protection and safety, and wider community or care responsibilities. It also became clear that technical decisions can shape these impacts. Design efficiency, reduced material demand, substitution, stronger sourcing compliance, circular economy practices, and greater attention to health and safety can all influence gender-related effects elsewhere in the value chain. 

Courage perspective | Samira Gruber (Fraunhofer IWS) 
Samira Gruber shared personal experiences from her own career path. She reflected on situations in which courage helped shape her professional development, including asking for opportunities, pursuing positions, and balancing motherhood with career growth. Her contribution encouraged women in science to seek visibility and opportunities actively rather than waiting for recognition. 

Career perspective | Prof. Carolin Körner (FAU Erlangen Nürnberg) 
Prof. Carolin Körner discussed the progress of women in science and engineering over time, while also pointing to career gaps, motherhood, and the need for more inclusive understandings of career progression. The exchange emphasized that delayed career paths linked to motherhood should not be devalued. Instead, such phases may also reflect other forms of growth and competence, including management and care-related skills. 

Societal perspective | Dr. Sylke Ernst (Universität Kassel, Equality Office) 
Dr. Sylke Ernst focused on broader structural questions of gender equality. She underlined that gender equality is a basis of democracy and referred to three strategic approaches for addressing these issues: fixing the numbers, fixing institutions, and fixing knowledge. Her contribution also opened discussion on the role of men in gender-related topics and stressed that these issues should not be treated as matters for women alone. 

The overall discussion and the takeaway wall demonstrated strong participant engagement. Alongside themes such as visibility, mutual support, stereotypes, care work, and confidence, the session broadened perspectives on how gender issues in science and manufacturing are shaped by technical, institutional, and societal conditions.