One of the main pillars of ITN programmes is the industrial secondment of Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) at different universities and industrial partners. Thus, all ESRs participating in this project had the opportunity to move abroad and join their industrial partners at least for a few months.
The industrial partners participating in the PROTECT project were selected and allocated based on their expertise to support ESRs with their research. I had the honour to join the Nestle Research Centre located in Lausanne, Switzerland for almost 9 months during my PhD. Apart from the scientific opportunities and the research performed at Nestle, this secondment taught me important lessons regarding the industrial working place, the soft skills needed to achieve my career goals, as well as combining scientific interests with business needs.
During my secondment at Nestle I learnt how to communicate scientific research to non-scientific and multidisciplinary audiences whilst successfully translating science into business. During my staying in Nestle, my supervisors and managers motivated and supported me in implementing my scientific work in real day-to-day business. Moreover, I grabbed the chance to meet new colleagues and expand my network outside the PROTECT project, which I truly believe will help me boost my career in years to come. Last but not least, it was a privilege working with all these amazing scientists. On a personal note, I was able to make life-long friends.