From student to process engineer: “I make production processes cleaner and smarter.”

Explorative, exciting, and busy.

It was a blank slate, a new era of my life where everything was different: moving to another city, meeting new people, taking up new hobbies, and exploring my studies. I was juggling a full-time study programme, student jobs, associations, and sports: it was a lot, but it was fun. I also had a lot of freedom, and I learned to manage my time.

My master’s thesis defence was a memorable day. All years of hard work led up to that moment when I shared my contribution to science and also reflected on my personal growth. Standing in front of my professors and family made it even more special.

Another unforgettable experience was my internship in Germany. I worked at a big chemical plant in Leverkusen, where I researched electrolysis in chlorine production. It was my first time being part of full-scale chemical plant operations. While we had visited industrial process plants during the study, seeing how everything works daily was a completely different experience.

I optimise production processes for the materials we make. The impact of the advanced composites made here is huge. Because they are very strong but lightweight, they are used in aircraft—less weight means less fuel consumption and emissions—for space exploration and hydrogen storage.

I help improve their quality but also cut costs, increase safety, or make operations more sustainable. It is exciting because I am involved in the entire supply chain: from selecting raw materials to including customer demands in the production processes.

One of the biggest projects I am working on is exploring ways of reducing or replacing a solvent in our production processes. This includes looking at different technologies and raw materials. Using fewer chemicals will have a positive impact on emissions, cost-effectiveness, and safety. It is these process improvements to which I contribute that keep me motivated.

Before my current job, I did a technical management traineeship in technical services where I got to figure out what kind of work environment and role I liked. That was when I realised I wanted a job where I would be close to a production facility and involved in the production processes. This is what drew me to Toray Advanced Composites: it is a major player in the field of carbon and advanced composites, and the impact of its products is enormous.

I worked in four different roles across various settings and industries. I helped manage projects to install smart solar charging systems; I wrote tenders for building maintenance projects and helped prepare plans for infrastructure projects; I even worked on innovation projects in business development and sales. It was all very different, but those experiences helped me understand what I wanted in a job.

I learned to understand the behaviour of materials based on their molecular structure and characteristics, which I get to apply every day while working with different types of polymers. This is crucial in optimising the production processes. We need to know what will happen to the materials in each processing step under different processing conditions.

Being part of a production facility is a unique dynamic: I am at the production lines where I apply my engineering skills to make high-quality end products. I have also developed specialised knowledge in advanced composites, which I continue to build on.

I love working at Toray Advanced Composites. In the long run, I would like to become more involved in business strategy where I can also get to apply my technical knowledge.

Find a work environment that fits you—not just the job itself, but also the setting, the people, and the culture. There isn’t one right path, you can go in different directions, also depending on the specialisation you have chosen. Experience different things, try new roles, and step out of your comfort zone.