What makes you change - and stay 

IC-Insight: from an established company to a growing cleantech business

They all come from different branches and have a wide variety of careers behind them. But one thing unites them: they all want to make a difference, they want to make their own contribution to a successful energy transition and against climate change. As part of our IC Insight series, we have talked to five of our experts about their motivation for coming to INERATEC, which changes they found most significant, and what advantages they gain from working for a growing Cleantech company. 

"Climate change concerns me very much and I asked myself, what can I do, how can I make a contribution?" Sebastian Uhlenhoff has been working at INERATEC for almost a year and supports the automation of our plants as software developer in the product development department. He personally no longer flies at all and generally renounces many things in his lifestyle in order to be as sustainable as possible. However, he wanted to make a change not only in his private life, but in his professional life, too: Not only did he want to have 'a less negative impact' on the climate, he also wanted to make a positive contribution beyond that. "From an environmental point of view, flying has a huge impact and that's why I'm with INERATEC. I think synthetic fuels are a big lever to move here. I can't do it alone, but INERATEC as a team has a huge opportunity for impact!".   

For the other four experts, too, the aspect of sustainability and the topics of renewable energy and Cleantech were the main driving force behind their switch to INERATEC. Benjamin Frank, who has joined the team at the beginning of the year in reactor development and manufacturing, emphasizes: " An advantage is definitely that you don't have to worry about motivation at all. It's all about green tech and renewable energy. As long as you are interested in these topics, you definitely don't have any motivation problems." In addition, Benjamin had a desire to work in a "highly dynamic company" before he made the switch. Today, he says he can absolutely confirm that INERATEC offers him such a working environment. "You get the chance to still help develop and shape processes and structures yourself."   

Frieder Gräter describes this dynamic as a "certain charm" that comes with working in a growing company. Although he knows from experience that this can be challenging sometimes, he "doesn't shy away from that". This is not the first time our head of the product development department has worked in a start-up, so he is familiar with the very personal atmosphere and working in flat hierarchies. For him, that's exactly the point: "Developing new and innovative ideas together with others and then realizing them is what motivates me and what I enjoy”. He is inspired by the interplay between exciting technology and a great team.   

Christian Mutschler also greatly appreciates the atmosphere within the team.
"There is definitely an appropriate level of respect among each other here."
Our welder, who has been supporting production since August 2021, also found his way to INERATEC through the sustainability aspect. "I am also very happy to not have to on the road for my job anymore," he admits. But in the last few months he has come to appreciate the considerate interaction and the full drive within the team. It is "the hands-on mentality" he particularly likes. "Everyone pitches in and we all share the vision of making a positive contribution to a more sustainable future." As Sebastian says, "this is really about the cause itself!"

For Samantha Michaux, this is the first start-up she has worked at. The business developer switched to INERATEC at the beginning of 2022 according to the motto 'now or never', after she had already gotten to know the company and the management in the course of previous collaborations. Today, she says she does not regret this decision at all. For her as well, the dynamism and opportunities for self-design are very positive changes from her previous working life in more conservatively-minded companies. "I am a doer. I don't need to spend hours discussing something only to come to no conclusion in the end." At INERATEC, she gets the opportunity to develop things, to try them out and implement her ideas directly. She also appreciates the proximity to the founders and the resulting opportunity to learn and develop from them every day. But the most important point she mentions for herself is appreciation at work: "For a very long time, I didn't know what that was. I get so much appreciation here, and I think that's just great!" 

It becomes clear that all of them rate their change to a Cleantech business positively. After all, according to the conversations with our experts, INERATEC offers a particularly pleasant and exciting working environment in addition to the changes that come with working in a growing start-up. Through a shared vision and exceptional teamwork, we manage to establish our technology, make e-fuels available to everyone, and thus make a significant contribution to a sustainable and climate-neutral future without fossil fuels.   

Do you also want to be part of this? Then join our team! As part of INERATEC, you will directly support the goal of a future with fuels made from CO2 and hydrogen instead of fossil crude oil. There are a variety of positions you can grow into - check out our job openings and apply today!