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To be perfectly honest, when I was a student at the ENSCI in Limoges, France, I was more tempted by the shiny field of technical ceramics and its high-tech applications than by the venerable refractory industry. It was - at that time - the newly arisen opportunity to spend a semester abroad as part of the freshly established FIRE student exchange program that set me on my journey in the - actually – very dynamic refractory industry.

Spending several months at the Chair of Ceramics at Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria under the rewarding mentorship of Prof. Harald Harmuth and Dr Christian Manhart offered me a one-of-a-kind pathway into the field of refractories, especially their thermomechanical characterisation and the development of innovative testing strategies. This ultimately opened me the door to my current position at the Forschungsgemeinschaft Feuerfest (FGF) in Germany, where I am continuing to drive forward the characterisation of refractory materials, and got the opportunity to complete a doctoral degree at the university of Freiberg, Germany (member of FIRE as well), under the insightful supervision of Prof. Christos Aneziris, Prof. Peter Quirmbach and Prof. Jürgen Pötschke. Since then, I enjoyed several valuable opportunities to engage with members of the FIRE Networks, either during international collaborations or conferences on different continents, further expanding my professional network and experience. More recently, I even got the chance to share my accumulated technical expertise and actively contribute as a delegate in the international standardisation committees for refractories (CEN and ISO).

During my time working in the refractory industry, I have had the pleasure of getting to know many different fascinating people, many of whom I am now honoured to call friends.

I am particularly grateful to Prof. Christian Gault, Prof. Marc Huger and Prof. Michel Rigaud for paving the way for my career in the refractory industry through FIRE. Almost 19 years ago, I had the privilege of being part of the first cohort of FIRE alumni. Now, I am amazed to see how much the FIRE Network has grown, offering exciting opportunities to so many actors in the refractory industry. Students benefit from the possibility to apply and expand their knowledge in the field of refractories at an international level. Universities form global academic and industrial partnerships. The industry gains access to a pool of promising young engineers and scientists. And everyone ultimately profits from a steadfast bridge between academia and industry, enabling research and innovations that addresses practical challenges in the field of refractory technology.

Erwan Brochen

Research Fellow at Forschungsgemeinschaft Feuerfest e. V.

Neustadt, Germany

Erwan Brochen | LinkedIn