Sonja User

Led digital transformation, process optimisation and innovation projects for manufacturing companies at INNOTECH, a Berlin-based consulting and R&D firm that connects industry, IT and engineering experts to bring new technologies to SMEs. Informal advisor on project reports until Mar 2026.
Key impact:
▸ Advised 29 companies on digitalisation and production optimisation, delivering production cost

Master's thesis internship in Materials Management at Steelcase, the global leader in office furniture (21 plants, 11,000 employees), within the Product Development & Launch team. I applied Lean Manufacturing methods to design optimal material handling and supply flows for a new product line launching at the Rosenheim plant.

Key contributions
▸ Mapped the current state of two production lines wit

R&D project at SCM Group, an Italian manufacturer of woodworking machinery and industrial technologies, conducted as my master's project. I analysed how SCM's patented SmartFlow system could enable batch-one production, shifting furniture manufacturing from mass production to fully customised, made-to-order output delivered as a ready-to-assemble kit.

Key contributions:
▸ Designed the optimised m

Innovation project with bulthaup, a premium German kitchen manufacturer, run as a collaboration between bulthaup and Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences. As part of a cross-functional student team, I helped develop a new product concept for the bulthaup office kitchen from idea to prototype.

Key contributions:
▸ Co-developed the full product concept, design direction and theme for a new offi

Wood Cluster Herzegovina is an association that strengthens the identity and competitiveness of the regional wood and furniture industry. I coordinated its public design competition, Presentation of New Designs in the Wood Industry, showcasing culturally inspired, contemporary furniture from the region.

Key contributions:
▸ Supported the realisation of the project, from competition set-up to the

Worked directly with the Director of Lignum, a make-to-order furniture manufacturer, rotating through every department of the company. This gave me an end-to-end view of the order-to-delivery process, from client requirements and design to procurement, production and on-site installation.

Key contributions:
▸ Translated client requirements into detailed technical designs using ArchiCAD
▸ Oversaw

Practical, project-based training in leading AI implementation and agile transformation, completed with IHK certification as Manager for AI-Transformation & Tool Integration.

▸ AI strategy: AI maturity assessment, use-case prioritisation (Impact/Effort), roadmap and KPIs, ROI
▸ AI governance: EU AI Act, ethics, data protection, risk classification
▸ AI tools & automation: AI-driven workflows in n

Oct 2026

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Aug 2026

Joint Master's degree awarded by Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences and Bern University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), specialising in Products and Processes. The programme combined engineering with management, with a strong focus on process optimisation, innovation and project management in industrial production.

Key modules: Management of Innovation and Product Development (1.3), Proj

Jan 2016

Engineering degree (180 ECTS) that built my analytical and technical foundation: structural analysis, engineering statics, mathematics and statistics, applied to the planning and execution of construction projects.

Key modules: Construction Management, Construction Production, Engineering Statics, Strength of Materials, Probability and Statistics, Informatics, and Introduction to Timber Structure

Jun 2015

Jan 2015