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Uwe Kokotz, Head of Registration
Where are you from, and what led you to cideon engineering?
I studied rail vehicle engineering at the Dresden University of Applied Sciences and then worked for DB in Konstanz as a group leader in the rolling stock department. After that, I worked at IVM Chemnitz on the commissioning of rail vehicles. When the opportunity arose in 1998 to work in the field of railway technology close to home, I didn’t hesitate for long.
Please tell us a little about your career with us.
I began my career as a structural analysis engineer. In that role, I performed FEM analyses for various vehicles, including the BR 711.1, the Kraków tram, and various freight cars. Next came calculations related to vehicle envelope—in this field, I was recognized as an expert by the EBA in 2002. For about 15 years now, vehicle certification has also accounted for an increasingly large portion of my work. In this area, we assist various clients with the certification of their vehicles, while also serving as inspectors for the various certification bodies (NoBo, DeBo). As a result, we are familiar with both sides of the process—that of the applicant and that of the inspector.
What has been your most challenging project so far?
My most challenging project was the certification of the HKX cars. The goal was to modernize 40-year-old passenger cars and upgrade them for higher speeds. The challenge was to coordinate the various contracting parties from Germany and abroad. In addition, due to the project’s long duration, the certification requirements changed several times, and many documents had to be revised multiple times as well.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
What I enjoy most is the variety of my tasks. For example, today I’m sitting in the office, and tomorrow I’ll be at a rail yard measuring a brake linkage. Then I perform routine inspections on vehicles or visit customers to advise them on how to register their vehicles effectively and cost-efficiently.
What qualities should prospective candidates have to work at our company?
A solid technical education or degree is a basic requirement, ideally related to the railroad industry. An interest in transportation and mobility is also desirable. Since we are an engineering firm and most of our work is done at a desk, interested candidates should also be willing to visit the plants on site from time to time to gain valuable insights for their work.
What do you personally appreciate about cideon engineering? Where do you see room for improvement?
What I appreciate most about cideon engineering is the collegial and fair way we treat one another. We don’t just work together—we also support one another. If you have any questions, there’s always someone you can turn to. We “old hands” are happy to pass on the knowledge we’ve accumulated.
