Daimler and Benz Foundation –
Daimler and Benz Foundation –
Daimler and Benz Foundation –

Bertha Benz Lecture

Events

Bertha Benz (1849–1944) was characterized by pioneering spirit and commitment. Together with her sons, in 1888 she demonstrated for the first time that the automobile is suitable for overland travel. In commemoration of this achievement, the Foundation has established the Bertha Benz Lecture, in conjunction with a prize-giving ceremony, as an event format. Female scientists and experts from various disciplines and sectors speak on topics of relevance to society. The Bertha Benz Prize is then presented to a female engineer who has completed an outstanding doctorate.

Years

2025
2024
2023
2022
2019
40th Bertha Benz Lecture

From bird flight to fryer grease: The future of flying

Mobility shapes our entire lives – individually, socially and economically. As it connects people and markets across borders, it constitutes the basis of our globally networked world. Innovations in mobility therefore have the potential to significantly change our everyday lives.

The transformation of our world through innovative mobility has taken place at breakneck speed: Less than ten years elapsed between Bertha Benz’s first overland journey in her “horseless carriage” in 1888 and the start of mass production of automobiles. Aviation even underwent three revolutions within the space of only three decades: Once the human pioneering achievement of flight was mastered, developments followed from initially daring experimentation to the world’s safest means of transportation and finally to the shift from luxury to mass mobility.

We are now on the verge of a fourth revolution: climate-neutral flying. People and markets can only continue to benefit from this strong growth in aviation if we succeed in making it sustainable. In her lecture, Sabine Klauke will explain how aviation can overcome the technological challenges and outline the role played here by openness, diversity and visionary courage.

Daimler and Benz Foundation –
Speaker
Dr. Sabine Klauke Airbus
Vita

Sabine Klauke is Head of Digital Design Manufacturing and Services “Next Gen” at Airbus; she has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2021. She holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Dresden.