From student to manufacturing and engineering manager: “I oversee the entire microneedle production process.”

Home, adventure, possibilities.

I felt at home at the University of Twente because I was surrounded by other engineering students who shared a similar outlook on life and interests. I come from the west of the Netherlands, which is much bigger and busier, but I felt so comfortable in Enschede that I decided to stay after graduation.

It is hard to choose only one, but I loved the Friday afternoon drinks. I was a member of study association Astatine, which I joined during my Bachelor’s in Advanced Technology, as well as the student gymnastics association Linea Recta. We used to meet up for drinks on Friday afternoons, and before we knew it, it was 10 PM: we lost track of time because we were having so much fun.

What I enjoy most about my job is that at Uneedle we cover the whole chain: designing, developing, manufacturing, and distributing microneedles, which are approximately a millimetre in size. I am responsible for production and product quality, and I see my role as creating order out of chaos. For example, when colleagues design a new microneedle, I have to develop a standardised process suitable for mass production and figure out how we can achieve consistent quality every day.

One of the microneedles produced by Uneedle

My days are varied; I might switch tasks every 20 minutes. For example, I might start with overseeing the assembly of microneedles on the production line, making sure we meet the required quantities and quality standards, then program a new piece of equipment, and later attend meetings with colleagues from other departments.

What has been a huge source of joy is working with a tangible product on a tangible production line. I am not just developing ideas on a computer: I can go into the factory and into the clean rooms, see the production lines running, and hold the product in my hands.

The production line in the cleanroom

I use the general engineering skill set, such as structured problem solving, process engineering, and project management. What is also very helpful was learning to validate a process and document every step clearly so that others can understand and repeat it.

I am learning to align the technical engineering side of my work with other departments, such as sales and product development. That means taking part in more management meetings and long-term planning with other departments.

The microneedles we manufacture are used by pharmaceutical companies, so patient safety and product quality are paramount. Environmental footprint is important too, but it isn't central yet. I hope in the future I can contribute to reducing environmental footprint by, for example, using more environmentally friendly materials and packaging and by minimising waste as much as possible.

What has helped me enormously throughout my career and continues to fulfil me is working at a company with its own production line. The huge benefit is that you can spend time where the actual production takes place, which teaches you far more than theoretical modelling or computer programming alone. I believe that makes you a better engineer because you see your hypotheses and designs in real life.

A batch of microneedles