Let’s face it: Terms like »power supply« or »network technology« don’t exactly scream excitement. But they are the backbone of the energy transition. Take data centers. Just a few years ago, their consumption was around 5 to 10 megawatts. Today it’s 100 to 200 – and rising. Looking ahead, experts like Fanny Bjoerk from Infineon are already talking about AI factories with gigawatt-level power demands. At the same time, the shift to renewables requires massive upgrades to the grid: more efficiency, more intelligence. So even if the term sounds unspectacular – it all starts with power supply. Without power electronics, there is no energy transition, no digitalization, no smart industry.
Fanny Bjoerk, Julia Reker, and Elisabeth Widmann work right at this intersection – and stand as role models for a demanding, future-proof field with excellent career opportunities.
From SiC Research to Energy Architecture for AI Data Centers
Fanny Bjoerk works at Infineon Technologies in Austria. She studied electrical engineering at KTH in Stockholm, where a lecture introduced her to silicon carbide (SiC) – a material with huge potential that, at that time, wasn’t yet ready for real-world use. Her PhD focused on SiC device structures, in collaboration with ABB.
More than 20 years later, she’s Global Marketing Director for Datacenter Power Distribution at Infineon – a role that puts her right in the heart of one of the most energy-intensive developments of our time. As digital infrastructure, data centers are consuming exponentially more energy, largely driven by AI applications.
»A modern hyperscale data center today needs 100 to 200 megawatts,« says Bjoerk. »In the coming years, we’ll see AI factories that require power on the gigawatt scale.« These systems need carefully designed energy architectures – and power semiconductors are at the core of every power conversion stage. Typically, six stages are needed – DC-AC, AC-DC or DC-DC – converting voltages from 1500 to 2000 V down to 0.8 V needed by processors. Infineon uses silicon (Si), gallium nitride (GaN), and silicon carbide (SiC) devices depending on the stage.
This isn’t just about power delivery – it’s about emissions, too. »If all data centers globally used our technology today, we could save 22 million tons of CO2 per year – equivalent to the emissions of 7.5 million combustion vehicles.« Bjoerk’s early interest in SiC turned out to be a pivotal choice. Today, the material plays a key role in power conversion – in solar inverters, fast-charging stations, and electric drives. »Nothing works without semiconductors – they are the lever for efficiency at every stage of the energy chain.«
Network Technology as the Backbone of the Energy System
Where electricity flows, data must follow – especially in modern energy infrastructures. Network technology enables communication between all elements and is thus essential to the energy transition. Julia Reker experiences this every day. A PhD in electrical engineering, she will take over as Head of the Network Technology Product Line at Phoenix Contact this May. Her career started with an internship at a specialist company for time and frequency synchronization – today, she ensures that servers, controllers, and systems can communicate reliably.
»Network technology is the backbone of digitalization,« says Reker. In the energy sector, it’s about far more than data transfer. It’s about real-time control of energy flows – for example, between solar installations, wind farms, storage systems, and the grid. The challenge: decentralized generation, fluctuating inputs, high control needs. Without connectivity, smart grids simply aren’t possible.
As project manager, Reker recently oversaw the setup of a production site in Vietnam – a task requiring both technical knowledge and organizational skills. In her new role, she will manage a complex field that spans standardization, international collaboration, cost optimization, test automation, and AI-supported development. »We’re currently evaluating how AI can be used in firmware programming – to make better use of available development resources.«
What matters to her is systematic innovation. Network technology shouldn’t be a patchwork – it needs clear concepts and tight cooperation across global teams. That she’s stepping into a leadership role at age 34 is still not the norm in this industry, she says – but it shows that things are moving.
Intelligent Power Supplies for Smart Factories
Elisabeth Widmann took a different path. Today she is Head of R&D Project Management at Puls. She started her career in business administration. But working closely with development and production sparked her curiosity: What exactly are we building here, and how does it work? During parental leave, she enrolled in a distance learning program in electrical engineering – with no prior technical training. It was a steep learning curve, but she made it. Over time, she transitioned into the technical side at Puls: first component testing, then project management, and eventually leading the entire department.
Today, she coordinates development projects across several business units – including the integration of subsidiaries like Adelsystem (DC UPS) and Wiferion (wireless charging). The products are becoming more intelligent, connected and flexible. Power supplies with communication interfaces are no longer a vision – they are essential for smart factories that monitor and control their own energy use.
»Power supplies are getting smart too,« says Widmann. »That brings new design and qualification requirements.« At the same time, the core technical demands remain: higher efficiency, greater robustness, shorter development cycles.
One topic that particularly motivates her is energy storage. For Widmann, it’s a crucial lever for the energy transition – provided it can be integrated into infrastructure efficiently, safely, and cost-effectively.
What she values most in her work: the variety, the relevance – and the constant evolution. »No day is like the other. I get up in the morning because I want to know what’s going to happen today.« The fact that more and more women are now helping shape the field isn’t a topic in itself – it’s simply part of progress.
