During the Industrial Research School in Complex Systems (INRESCOS) first annual Match Making event in September 2023, José Amendola presented his research along with seven other PhD candidates. His topic was “Landing smoothly in a thunderstorm”. This led to several speed interviews during the breaks and a job offer from two companies.
HIVE Autonomy presented by INRESCOS cluster partner GCE NODE, was the preferred one as it aligned with his research project. He got in contact with the CEO and started the job early in 2024 while completing the final phase of his doctoral research.
Industry needs research and research needs industry
José found that working in the industry provided new perspectives on his research, particularly because HIVE Autonomy's focus on autonomous navigation closely aligned with his own studies. He noted that many of the challenges faced by the company were similar to those he encountered in the lab, which helped confirm several of his hypotheses. Additionally, working on real-world applications exposed him to specific issues that were not apparent in a purely research environment, highlighting the differences between theoretical abstractions and practical use cases.
When we asked José if he thought his experience as a PhD student was beneficial to his new employer compared to other employees without PhD, he thought so. He explained that the startup company had many recently graduated employees, and his prior work, along with his PhD experience, allowed him to add significant value. Although he found it challenging to determine whether his PhD or previous work experience contributed more, he emphasized that his understanding of system fundamentals and algorithms, developed during his PhD studies, gave him the confidence to handle the complexities and lack of formal onboarding. Overall, his PhD provided him with the resilience and skills needed to thrive in a dynamic, young company.
Starting a PhD with a dual role as a researcher and engineer might bring conflicts between the need to deliver concrete solutions for the company and the need to produce publishable research. Even though, he thinks it can be fruitful because it provides insights and a better grasp of real-world problems, which can add value to the PhD research, but he highlights the importance of managing expectations.
While supervisors might see industry experience as a threat due to the pressure to complete the PhD on time, he believes that convincing them of the benefits, such as access to resources and real-world insights, can compensate for this concern.
Presentation techniques
During this conference, the students were challenged to present their research to our industry partners using PechaKucha. This presentation style, combined with valuable advice from our coach Carl André Christensen at Talerskolen, equipped them with the right tools to attract interest.
He says, "I think it's worth mentioning that presenting with PechaKucha during that event was very fruitful for me” and he believes this training is particularly useful for all PhD students who often find public speaking challenging. Having good communication skills is a key factor, not only for the dissemination of research but also to attract the right company.
Alumni to bridge the gap between industry and research
José will soon join INRESCOS Alumni group. He believes this group can serve as ambassadors, providing support and opportunities for PhD graduates to navigate the job market and bridge the gap between academia and industry. Some alumni could potentially mentor PhD students during internship/work in the industry. This would add value to the work we already do in INRESCOS to close this gap.
During his presentation, José concluded that he expected the end of his PhD journey to be like standing in front of an amazing rainbow after a thunderstorm. When we asked if the landing had been smooth, he replied, "There was a lot of turbulence during landing."
Looking back, it has been full of ups and downs; however, José has demonstrated that he knows how to tackle turbulence. He came to Norway with his wife during COVID. He started his PhD studies and found a job while studying through INRESCOS. It was a bit harder for his wife in the beginning because her diploma was not recognized in Norway, and she couldn’t find a job in her field. Despite this, she diden't give up but started studying for a new profession, in the Norwegian language. José says she should be proud of herself, and it shines through that he also is.
We wish them great success in everything they do, especially José for his thesis defense!