Industry Office Hours with Tenaris: Emerging technologies for traditional industries
Capstone advisors talk about how they utilize data science to optimize the energy industry and discuss strategies for learning in graduate school.
We spoke with Lorenzo Einaudi, MEng ’12 (IEOR) and Adonis Ichim from Tenaris, a leading supplier of tubes and related services for the world’s energy industry and other industrial applications. Lorenzo was part of the inaugural MEng Class of 2012 and returns as a Capstone advisor for MEng students. We sat down with the two and chatted about the industry and their advice for engineering leaders.
Lorenzo Einaudi, Technical Sales Manager
What was it like to be part of the first MEng cohort?
“It is an honor to be part of the first-ever MEng cohort! I believe today, even more than while attending UC Berkeley, that the program is perfectly suited for the main challenges that an engineer will encounter in the work environment. The mix between technical, managerial and interpersonal skills that are needed to succeed in the MEng program is exactly what I consider necessary to succeed in a company like Tenaris.
What led you to pursue this career/industry?
A mix of factors: first, I wanted to work in an international company with a strong tie to Italy, second, I wanted to be in a company that plays a role in the energy sector, and third, I wanted to work in a company that dealt with technological aspects.
What advice do you have for the next generation of engineers? What skills should they focus on learning in grad school?
Make sure you work with a diverse group of students, like those from other departments, countries, age groups and political/religious beliefs. Learning how to work in a diverse environment is an important quality for the leaders of tomorrow.”
Adonis Ichim, Technical Sales Engineer
What interests you and/or your company about working with MEng students?
“We believe that addressing some of our industry’s challenges through this capstone project partnership will create some synergy with future engineering leaders who can tackle our topic from a technical and economic standpoint. I am eager to interact with and learn from students outside of my core area of expertise (petroleum engineering) while getting a fresh view of our standard approach.
What does it mean to be a technical sales engineer?
I help customers by providing products and services through engineered, value-based solutions. Working in a fast-paced setting, I see different aspects of the energy and manufacturing industries, from designing a product or a process for a specific need to manufacturing and deploying it. Most times, the question we answer is: What is the optimum approach that will maintain safety and environmental stewardship while reducing cost and increasing efficiency?
What is your vision for the data science industry in the next 5–10 years?
In the energy industry, specifically oil and gas, we have historically stored colossal amounts of data that, for various reasons, were not processed and interpreted to their full potential in terms of value creation. These data stem from the exploration phase, or are recorded during drilling, completion, and production, so they may span over several decades. Since we now have more power to store, analyze and draw conclusions from large data sets, the industry will spend more time creating models and educating itself based on it. I hope that domain knowledge will prime the future developments and enable traditional engineers to focus on solving other issues or creating new processes/tools. With this approach, we can also better automate physical processes to gain efficiencies and reduce risks.
I hope that domain knowledge will prime the future developments and enable traditional engineers to focus on solving other issues or creating new processes/tools.
What advice do you have for the next generation of engineers? What skills should they focus on learning in grad school?
I think that independent of your research area, as a graduate student you should always keep an eye on the big picture. A good way to do so is through networking. Gaining niche expertise is important, but being open to learning from others is just as rewarding.”
This year, Lorenzo and Adonis are leading an MEng Capstone Project, titled Data Analytics for Oil & Gas Well Construction. Students working on the project will analyze data and create a model to optimize tubulars’ use in the field.
Connect with Lorenzo and Adonis // Edited by Anna Liang
