Supervisor Testimonials

What was your motivation for becoming a Supervisor for a Helix Lab Fellow?

In my research, I prefer and actively seek to engage in academic/industrial collaboration. First and foremost because I believe that it is in the intersectoral sphere, that solutions with real world potential arise. Using a specific challenge or interest from an industrial partner as the point of departure, means that whatever we learn and develop together, will more easily be implemented in industry and can thus faster have a direct societal impact. Moreover, this approach aligns extremely well with the Problem Based Learning philosophy employed at Aalborg University. Using the Helix Lab Fellowships to also provide students with industrial insight and a competitive edge for their future careers is also very satisfying for me personally. Being part of the academic education system, it is my responsibility to equip students as best possible for their professional life after their education, and here Helix Lab has shown to be a very useful and efficient instrument. As the Kalundborg Bio-industry is both thriving and developing extensively, collaborating with industry in this area is extremely interesting. From earlier research projects I already had a strong collaboration with Unibio, and when Helix Lab emerged, it was a possibility that we had to explore together. And thus far, it has been a great success for all parties.

What is the most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Supervisor?

Seeing students thrive and develop, personally and professionally, is the most important aspect in my opinion. But there are many other exiting aspects, from a personal and institutional viewpoint, of taking part in Helix Lab. Working in academia, we usually only have the possibility to test ideas and technologies in lab-scale. Working with industrial partners directly open the possibility of upscaling the research to a level that is industrially relevant. As this is not always easy, developing solutions in lab-scale utilizing the strong analytical support an academic lab can provide, and the collaborating with industry in scaling processes is an amazing journey to be part of. Getting very close and hands-on with industrial practice (through students) not only makes me learn new aspects but also paves the way for future collaborative efforts. Being part of a Helix Lab fellowship allows for exploring new ideas with industrial partners without requiring a tremendous investment in developing e.g. grant applications.

What was your motivation for becoming a Supervisor for a Helix Lab Fellow?

My main motivation to be a supervisor is to be able to explore interesting ideas for our manufacturing facility in terms of sustainability and industry 4.0 as well as explore state of the art solutions to our open-ended problem together with the students to ultimately find the best solutions. These ideas often lead to advanced process understanding and also to the identification of talented students as future process engineers for our facilities in NN Kalundborg.

What is the most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Supervisor?

The most exciting part for me is to learn about  diverse technical fields and to help the students develop their fullest potential.

What was your motivation for becoming a Supervisor for a Helix Lab Fellow?

As a Supervisor for a Helix Lab Fellow, I support the mission of Helix Lab to create a collaborative ecosystem bridging industry and academia through short-term (5-10 months) Master's thesis projects. These collaborations are intentionally challenging, demanding adaptability from students, supervisors, and industrial partners. Relocating to Kalundborg, adapting to new surroundings, colleagues, and work environments while tackling the demanding task of thesis writing can be overwhelming for students.

My motivation arises from a deep commitment to supporting and guiding my students throughout their fellowship. I recognize that a Master's thesis serves as a crucial stepping stone for students, often shaping their entry into the industry. I am dedicated to helping students make the most of this opportunity, ensuring they gain valuable skills and experiences that propel them toward successful careers. Guiding them through this transformative journey is not just my responsibility; it is my passion and commitment to fostering the next generation of engineers and scientists.

What do you gain by being a Helix Lab Supervisor?

As a Helix Lab Supervisor, I can understand industry challenges firsthand and leverage my expertise to find innovative solutions. The access to collaborate with talented students allows for impactful problem-solving, which brings me immense satisfaction. Bridging the gap between real-life challenges and matching them with those capable of finding solutions allows me to foster an environment of learning and growth, which I consider my happy place.

What was your motivation for becoming a Supervisor for a Helix Lab Fellow?

 My motivation is divided into two parts, one thing is to get valuable insight and explore new technologies and methods, which can enhance our production process to reach an even higher potential. The other part, is that get a lot of energy from teaching and knowledge sharing, so the close collaboration with students and help them develop their skills, is highly rewarding.

What is the most exciting part of being a Helix Lab Supervisor?

The results of the students work, often brings completely different results, than what was expected. This part of getting something unexpected, is really where these projects shine, and we learn valuable lessons.

What was your motivation for becoming a Supervisor for a Helix Lab Fellow?

Helix lab is an exciting new opportunity to engage with real industrial problems and do work that has real world impact.

What do you gain by being a Helix Lab Supervisor?

I have engaged with a new real world problems, that are pushing the state of the art. It has been very important been part of an active community.