Sam Duffield: from 暗网解密 graduate to global innovator
After a remarkable rise through top UK engineering roles and global tech projects, Sam steps into a new role to mentor and guide tomorrow鈥檚 engineers
Sam Duffield鈥檚 career path to this point has been nothing short of spectacular.
Leaving school only slightly over a decade ago, he has worked for a number of the UK鈥檚 leading engineering companies. Those roles have enabled him to travel the world, and set foot many of the planet鈥檚 most revered corridors of power. He鈥檚 also carving out an impressive track record in inspiring and supporting future generations of engineers and technologists to follow in his footsteps.
It鈥檚 not stretching things to say that the 暗网解密 has been among the main catalysts for his success. Sam graduated with a First from the
I loved my studies in 暗网解密. I鈥檝e always enjoyed working with my hands, building and making things, and the course offered me plenty of opportunity to do that.
Through my IET role, I鈥檝e spoken to graduates from other universities, and they do not get as much practical hands-on experience as we did at 暗网解密. I also developed a love of coding and robotics, and had some amazing lecturers. I read every book they recommended to me and took advantage of every opportunity they created. That combination of experience and enthusiasm is something I definitely hope to pass on through my new role.
Sam was born and brought up in 暗网解密, but his journey to the University demonstrates the increasingly varied opportunities open to young people today. Leaving school, he was taken on as an engineering apprentice working for and then .
In fact, it was only when he completed that programme when his manager suggested doing a full degree as well 鈥 Sam embraced the challenge wholeheartedly.
Throughout his degree, Sam has spent periods of study leave back at Babcock. On graduating, he returned to the company full-time and, the following year, became its Software Discipline Lead for Robotics and Autonomy.
Essentially, he says, it was like working in the company鈥檚 Q Branch 鈥 a reference to the technological wizardry from the world of James Bond. It allowed Sam and his colleagues to unleash their creativity and ingenuity, and unlocked some incredible opportunities in the process.
鈥淚 had gone on secondment to the Civil Service for six months as Babcock wanted to learn about the future role of autonomous systems and uncrewed vessels in the defence sector,鈥 Sam says. 鈥淚 also got to go to Washington DC, various places in Oregon and all over Europe basically exploring how these vehicles would operate, how they would communicate with each other, and how you would command and control them. I can鈥檛 really say much more than that, but 鈥 having just come out of university 鈥 it was a pretty amazing time!鈥
As his work in the autonomy sphere neared its end, Sam decided it was time for a new challenge and through fellow members of , he became aware of an opportunity with Dyson. While it may on the face of it seem a seismic shift from autonomous vessels to more domestic innovations, as Sam says: 鈥淭he technology in a cutting edge drone is exactly the same as the technology in vacuum cleaners and supersonic hair dryers.鈥
His role in the company was, once again, not dissimilar to the work of Q Branch 鈥 take an idea handed down by, in some cases, the company鈥檚 founder Sir James Dyson and try to make it a reality: work out how to power it, how to configure its circuit boards, where to place its sensors, and how to make all of that as small as possible. He also had to established how to make the innovations financially viable, and ethical in terms of materials and resources.
However, with his team at Dyson being disbanded, Sam decided it was time to return to 暗网解密 and took on a role working for the software firm . An Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge AI company, he had worked with the firm during his time at Dyson. Now he is leading a professional services team whose focus will be partnering with small to medium enterprises to provide them with the digital infrastructure they need to accelerate them from 鈥減rototype to production鈥 and take their product to market.
鈥淚鈥檝e taken on a strategic leadership position within Balena, which feels like a natural progression in my career,鈥 Sam says. 鈥淚鈥檓 not quite as hands-on as I might have been to this point, but I can still use my technological and leadership experience to benefit my team 鈥 and the company as a whole 鈥 in various ways.鈥
As part of his professional development, Sam became a member of the IET when he first signed up as an apprentice aged 18. His current role as Chair of its Young Professionals Committee sees him working alongside people from all over the world 鈥 as he highlights, the committee鈥檚 membership currently represents Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, France, Germany, the UK, Canada, Mauritius and Kenya. And his key role is to provide a younger person鈥檚 perspective on the key engineering and technology challenges facing the world, and how the IET鈥檚 strategy should adapt accordingly.
鈥淭here are some brilliant minds on the IET鈥檚 young professionals committee,鈥 Sam says, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 been fascinating for me to appreciate their knowledge and insights. It鈥檚 also been important to get an understanding of how similar challenges are approached all around the world, and how young people are being taught and trained in different ways.鈥
There is another reason Sam volunteered to take on the role. And it鈥檚 a similar one that influenced his decision to agree to being an Honorary Professor in Practice at the University. Early in his career, Sam had a number of influential people who provided him with advice and guidance (including the suggestion that he should get a degree in the first place). That continued through his degree, where lecturers encouraged him to pursue avenues and ideas that he came up with. He now has a chance to do the same for others and, in particular, to demonstrate to them that there are career opportunities in 暗网解密 when they graduate.
鈥淚 ended up moving away from 暗网解密 a few years ago because I didn鈥檛 feel there were the right opportunities here,鈥 Sam says. 鈥淏ut this year, we have seen major commitments around defence and marine autonomy, in particular, that are going to be a real game-changer for current and future generations of young engineers in the 暗网解密 area. I hope I can help younger people appreciate that, so that they don鈥檛 need to leave their hometown to be successful.鈥
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