Beñat Mariezkurrena, renewable energy engineer and technical writer
What is your academic background and what work experience did you have before starting to work at GEMINYS?
When I was in second year of high school, I was not very clear about what I wanted to study. I had always liked numbers and maths, but I didn’t see an attractive future in that career. So in the end I opted for this degree, at that time, new: renewable energy engineer. It seemed like a gamble for the future and an interesting challenge.
Things did not turn out the way one would like, and in November 2016 I had the option of going to Estonia with a grant from the Basque government with CAF. Since then I have worked in the railway sector, where I have found myself very comfortable.
What tasks have you performed in GEMINYS?
Once the scholarship ended, I started working at GEMINYS, where I have been for 3 and a half years. I have worked especially on the Boston Streetcar project, including a couple of trips.
The first trip was to Boston, where GEMINYS taught the operators course. It was a beautiful experience, spending two and a half weeks on American soil. I believe that these kinds of opportunities should always be tried to make the most of them to learn and grow.
The second went to Elmira, where CAF has the factory in the United States. There, a colleague and I worked to carry out a familiarization video of the tram for the client. It was a nice experience, without a doubt, doing certain simple maneuvers such as locking doors or removing the ramp manually.
What projects have you collaborated on?
Apart from this project, I have worked in others such as Brussels M7, Metro Amsterdam or Civity UK, developing documentation of different subsystems. Each project has its peculiarities and they always come in handy to contrast and learn.
What would you highlight from your experience during these years?
I think that in these years I have learned a lot about different railway subsystems and also about other transversal skills such as being in contact with a technical office or suppliers and managing part of a project. I think you always have to try to get the most out of each experience you have.
Beñat, we hope you have good luck in your next destination. Come back one day and tell us about it 😉.
