Factories of the Future: Women Leading the Next Wave of Industrial Innovation

How can artificial intelligence and digital transformation revolutionize one of the world’s oldest industries? For Maria Zahlbruckner, CEO and Co-Founder of factorymaker and TU Wien alumna, the answer lies at the intersection of technology, teamwork, and determination

With a background in civil engineering, Maria and her team have built factorymaker into a fast-growing startup shaping the factories of the future. As a female founder in a traditionally male-dominated industry, she’s proving that vision, persistence, and courage can break barriers and open new paths.

In her Pioneer Tomorrow Talk, Maria will share her insights on:

• The potential of AI and digital innovation in the construction industry
• The founding journey of factorymaker — key milestones, challenges, and growth strategies
• How to build and lead an international team from the ground up
• A female founder’s perspective in a male-dominated field — lessons in resilience and leadership
• Dos and Don’ts for aspiring founders: what really matters on the startup journey
• What’s next for factorymaker — scaling and shaping the future of industrial innovation

Join us for an inspiring talk with Maria Zahlbruckner on how female founders are shaping the factories of the future — driving innovation, diversity, and lasting change across industries.

About the PIONEER TOMORROW: Insights Unplugged series

The PIONEER TOMORROW: Insights Unplugged, organized by the Innovation Incubation Center (i²c)at TU Wien, enables the audience to learn firsthand from experienced founders, investors and innovators, and get inspired by their success (and failure) stories. Our guest speakers share their international experiences, dos & don’ts and lessons learned during an inspiring talk. Afterwards, the participants can ask all the burning questions during an interactive Q&A.

After the session, the attendees have the opportunity to network and mingle with like-minded people while enjoying beverages provided by TUW i²c.