Giovanni Strano

A career in engineering innovation

Giovanni Strano (PhD Engineering, 2013) recently returned to Exeter to speak to Engineering students about potential career paths. Giovanni works at Rolls Royce Civil Aerospace and before that he worked at Jaguar Land Rover Research and Technologies.

He says: “I worked as a Research Engineer which was a perfect role coming from a PhD. I could apply innovative research in real-world situations and develop new products that provide real benefits to the community.

“I have always liked to innovate and to be at the cutting edge of technology. At Jaguar Land Rover I worked on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and now I am working on world class aircraft engines that will be powering civil aviation in the future. We are working on new developments which will boost the performances of aircraft engines and at the same time also improve fuel efficiency and greatly reduce emissions.

“Thanks to the nature of my work I have been able to patent a number of inventions and then also demonstrate them to the press when the concept was mature, which is an extra bit of fun. For example I designed a new camera vision system that improve visibility by giving a see-through effect to overcome the rear blind spot when towing caravans, trailers, horse boxes. I have also developed innovative technology to enhance control and stability when driving.

“I chose Exeter because it is one of the best centres for Additive Layer Manufacturing in the world. It has extensive links with business which means everything you do has a real-world application, and the level of technology and innovation is very high.

“My PhD certainly helped my career. As well as increasing my capabilities, it contributed to a mind-set of confidence into push boundaries and principles of modern leadership prepared to world-class industry challenges. I would definitely recommend Exeter to anyone thinking of studying in this area.

“In modern industry it is important, not just to be technically competent, but to be a team player and to have a problem-solving attitude. Businesses are always looking for ways of increasing efficiency and value without compromising on quality, and this often requires you to look at things in a different way and to collaborate on ideas with your colleagues.”

Date: 13 December 2018