Designer in Bioprocess Engineering

Transcription

1 3TU. School for Technological Design STAN ACKERMANS INSTITUTE Designer in Bioprocess Engineering Post-MSc programme

2 Aneta Petrovska, PDEng Process engineer at Tate & Lyle Almost two years after I completed the PDEng program in Bioprocess Engineering in 2011, I am looking back and I see it was the right choice and the stepping stone I was looking for! At the time I was graduating at the Technical University in Skopje, Macedonia, I was searching for an education that would help me develop into an engineer with capacity to perform on the tasks and deliver high quality of work; I was looking to be trained to start my career as a valuable employee that develops continuously and becomes competent for a future leader in time. Delft University of Technology was one of the Universities I aimed for, due to its reputation as one of the best technical Universities. The coordinating team at the University helped me to choose the Bioprocess Engineering as the most suitable programme for my career objectives. The first year I focused on strengthening my scientific/engineering knowledge, following carefully selected courses, fitted to my profile. Furthermore, I developed skills for teamwork and leadership, working together with my colleagues from all over the world but also leading a conceptual design team in a dynamic and inspiring environment for a few months. The second year I worked on an international project for fragrance ingredient development in a company headquartered in Geneva and partly in their research centre in Shanghai, China. Being the link between the academic knowledge of my professors, the scientists in Shanghai and the technology team in Geneva was a significant practice for my current, similar job position. Entering the industry as process engineer after the PDEng programme was not a difficult transition in my experience. I was well prepared for the challenges in the world leading companies, and at the same time my company valued the development I achieved during the programme. Dick Groen Technology and Manufacturing Advisor DSM Biotechnology Center DSM is very active in developing sustainable processes and products. Biomass based raw materials are being used to generate known and new building blocks for our products and new products. One of the elements towards success is sustainable process design. Many process routes have to be evaluated on technical feasibility, costs and sustainability. The role of a process designer is then to work in a multidisciplinary team in selecting and evaluating processes. The PDEng trainees can have good contributions in this process design and evaluation both in their Group Design Project, as a group in a 3 months period, and Individual Design Project, personal for an one year period. They have a high level master s background and have had additional deepening and broadening of the hard skills, but also more experience on the soft skills like working in multicultural teams. My experience is that they have a critical attitude and a good personal contribution to our work.

3 Kick-start your career in industry The PDEng-programme Designer in Bioprocess Engineering integrates Engineering with the Life Sciences, plus business disciplines, to prepare you for a career in the multi-facetted biotechnological industry. You broaden and deepen your theoretical knowledge in the different areas and experience their integration and implementation in real-life applications. Programme structure Course Modules A large part of the first year consists of multi- and interdisciplinary courses. Your course programme represents the requisite areas and is further tuned to your background and interest. The compulsory disciplines range from Applied Mathematics and Physical/Chemical Basics, through Conversion Technology and Reactor Design, Separation Processes, Process Integration and Control, Biosciences and Environmental Technology, to Business Sciences and Project Management. You attend courses like Bioreactor Design, Scale up / Scale down, Advanced Process Design and Analysis, Metabolic Engineering, Applied Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, Bioprocess Integration and Economic Evaluation. Attention is given to the integration of the different disciplines and the appreciation of the role of technology in industry. Group Design Project The Group Design Project is an essential part in the first year of the Designer programme. You work in a team with other PDEng-trainees on a real-life industrial project and you acquire the essentials of engineering design. You experience the different roles as a team member, from project manager to engineer, and you appreciate the industry s viewpoint in process development. During the Course Modules and the Group Design Project, you learn to integrate the different courses and adopt an interdisciplinary approach to come up with solutions to the challenges in modern biotechnology industry. Individual Design Project During the second year you work on an industrial, Individual Design Project. This is where you implement and integrate all first year courses, engineering and scientific, as well as project management and economics. This project is performed in (collaboration with) the R&D department of an industry or as a developer in a smaller industry. You may develop an alternative for a series of unit operations or analyse a complete process for improvement of product quality or quantity, taking into account its industrial ecology. Career perspective Upon graduation, you receive the degree Professional Doctorate in Engineering, or PDEng. Throughout the programme, you have been trained to develop and apply an independent attitude, a critical approach, creativity and a focus on innovative application and integration of the different fields in biotechnology. The process industry, ranging from fine to bulk chemical, appreciates the added value of the graduated Designers in Bioprocess Engineering. PDEng graduates work in a range of disciplines in the industry, from process development in a large pharmaceutical industry, to new product development and feasibility in a small start-up biotech company. Application An MSc degree in (Bio-) Chemical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Food or Environmental Technology, or a related discipline, with excellent results, is required for application. Furthermore, we expect from our PDEng trainees an interdisciplinary attitude, an eye for application of technology in industry, and teamworking skills. The application procedure for the Designer in Bioprocess Engineering program consists of three stages.

4 1. Submission of your on-line Application Form Evaluation of the candidate based on the information that is provided through the application form on 2. Submission of documents The candidate is evaluated based on the letter of application, curriculum vitae, content and performance in BSc and MSc education and references. 3. Interview Evaluation of the candidate through a presentation and an interview. After successful completion of the application procedure, you are hired by the TU Delft and you will receive a salary of approximately 1,700 a month.

5 I didn t want to be a scientist who tries to understand the world; I wanted to be an engineer who tries to change the world. Peter Baets Senior Project Manager at the Competence Center Process Technology Corbion My background is an MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology. Since 1999 I am employed at Corbion (former Purac Biochem) in various positions where I have worked with PDEng trainees on a frequent basis. Most PDEng design projects concerned conceptual designs and techno-economic evaluations of promising new technologies for potential application within Corbion s current and future production processes. Within Corbion we employ many former PDEng trainees, especially in those positions where the transition from research & development toward process implementation is crucial. The strengths of PDEng trainees I experienced are; good quality through thorough selection, post-master level dedicated technological designer education, placement within Corbion and ability to work dedicated on a specific topic for one year. Furthermore the specific expertise and experience of the involved university supervisors is very useful in bringing the PDEng trainee quickly up to speed. For all these reasons PDEng trainees are a valuable addition, strengthening our Biobased Innovation Engine, either with projects or as new employees, today and in the future.

6 About TU Delft With its students and 5000 staff TU Delft is a major university. This means many number of opportunities and facilities for students and ample capacity for individual supervision. Delft is an attractive city for the students. Conveniently arranged, with everything you need for a varied study time: cozy bars, affordable restaurants, great shops, cinemas and theatres. Delft is situated in the middle of the Randstad urban conurbation, with Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague within easy reach. And no other university city has as many active student societies as Delft does. The 3TU.School for Technological Design, Stan Ackermans Institute offers two-year postgraduate technological designer programmes. The institute is a joint initiative of the three universities of technology in the Netherlands: Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and University of Twente. More information: Delft University of Technology Eindhoven University of Technology For further information Bioprocess Engineering programme Faculty of Applied Sciences bpe-pdeng@tudelft.nl Website: University of Twente (Professional Doctorate in Engineering)