What has motivated you to get into the CAE sector?
Matthijs: What I like is how broad the practical applications in it are, that is the part I enjoy most, the practicality and the variety within the sector, so that motivates me.

Jochem: I’ve always had an interest in cars. As I got older that interest broadened to include the technology of cars, which led me to want to study Automotive. There I discovered the world of CAE. It intrigued me to keep learning about it and two years ago I had my first internship here at Femto.

What project are you taking on here?
Matthijs: I am taking on a project in the aerospace department! I will be working with Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for the CFD part of the project, but also with Simcenter Amesim for the systems part of it. These are both very relevant programs today and I’m excited to get to work with both.

Jochem: I will be doing a project in the automotive industry, focusing on FEM.

What do you like most about the project?
Matthijs: I love being able to work on technology that is so pioneering and new. I feel a big responsibility to do my part and not just to learn but also to contribute to something that is really innovative.

Jochem: I love that I am going back to the automotive industry with this project. It’s what interests me most in the first place and fits very well with the rest of my study. In my second year in Rotterdam I worked on something that’s similar to what I will do here, but of course this is the real thing, so it feels like I’m building on top of what I already know about.

How are you getting closer to your goals during your time at Femto?
Matthijs: In the short time I’ve been here I’ve had first-hand experience with how open everybody is and how experienced the engineers at Femto are. Because of this combination I am confident that I will learn a lot here.

Jochem: I agree, during my first internship here I was already able to make a really big step in my skills, specifically with the software, because I get to pick up on the extensive knowledge here. The colleagues are very helpful and that doesn’t end at the door of the room you’re seated in. I get really inspired when I ask a complex question and a colleague can give me a few very simple answers to help me along again.