Jennie Ström on innovation and giving back to the community
Jennie Ström started working as production engineer in 2007 right after graduating from the Royal Institute of Technology without ever having operated a turning or a milling machine. Today, she is Senior Manager within global R&D, and board member of the Göranssonska school where she helps the next generation of engineers and technicians learn about the manufacturing world and excel.
When Jennie joined Sandvik Coromant, the focus on automation was huge. The company was already at the forefront of change, so she landed right in the middle of a big transformation which did not go unnoticed. In 2019, the World Economic Forum recognized the Sandvik Coromant production unit in Gimo, Sweden as an advanced Industry 4.0 facility – a digital lighthouse.
Up until that point, Jennie had already begun her managerial journey and tackled her first big challenge abroad. In 2013, the pursuit of new challenges and the global improvement program focusing on lean manufacturing brought Jennie to Germany where she became directly responsible for the program at one of the biggest production units.
“To be entrusted with a challenge, but at the same time provided with support and mentorship, is something I truly appreciate about working at Sandvik Coromant. I am doing my best now to do the same for people around me," she says.
In 2016, Jennie moved back to Sweden for a senior manager role within research and development where the biggest challenge became the lead time. “Being an impatient person and used to a faster pace, I needed some time to adjust. Today, I respect the process – developing great products and solutions is not always a straight line," she says, “Continuously transforming our offer is very interesting. Paving the way to offer customers not only great cutting tools, but efficiency along their entire manufacturing flow, feels truly great in my manufacturing and engineering heart."
Digitalization of R&D
R&D is all about constantly finding new ways to push industry limits. From incredible breakthroughs to streamlining and perfecting already existing processes, data has become the primary fuel for innovation and inspiration.
“With new capabilities within process monitoring and access to high-quality streaming machining data, we have a great possibility to accelerate this journey." Jennie says, “The value of all this data lies in developing even better products and solutions, as well as increasing efficiency within R&D. We have only just begun our journey within this field. Looking ahead, we also see a need for new competences connected to this journey. Towards 2030, I think 30-50% of R&D engineers will be data scientists."
Community involvement
Göranssonska school, where Jennie is a board member, was founded in 2002 by Sandvik AB in Sandviken, Sweden. It's a three-year-long technical upper secondary school where students have the possibility to study machining and automation. The school is known for nurturing the curiosity of the students by providing a balanced theoretical and practical education, which gives them a sense of responsibility and a strong drive to learn.
“Today 70% of the students continue to higher education but having excellent skills within turning and milling (which I didn't have). This is a great background for any roles within our company," she says, “To take an active part in educating these appreciated citizens (regardless of where they end up) feels very meaningful and important to me as a person and for all of us at Sandvik Coromant."
Women in engineering
The teamwork between Sandvik Coromant and Göranssonska school is exemplary, and this initiative has already greatly impacted gender diversity in the perceived interest in the manufacturing industry.
“To encourage younger women to choose technical education, we need to start early. This is a long-term investment for a better gender balance within the industry," Jennie says.
Starting this autumn, 46% of the students will be women. “I am so looking forward to supporting them in their development and showing them how interesting and enriching it can be to work within the manufacturing industry." she says, “I am happy to see that Göranssonska skolan is doing a great work here. I am proud to be working for Sandvik Coromant which invests in diversity and inclusion and strives for a more diverse workforce overall."
