Sam Duffield: from ñ 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 tomorrowñޙs engineers
Sam Duffieldñޙs 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 UKñޙs leading engineering companies. Those roles have enabled him to travel the world, and set foot many of the planetñޙs most revered corridors of power. Heñޙs also carving out an impressive track record in inspiring and supporting future generations of engineers and technologists to follow in his footsteps.
Itñޙs not stretching things to say that the ñ has been among the main catalysts for his success. Sam graduated with a First from the
I loved my studies in ñ. Iñޙve 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, Iñޙve spoken to graduates from other universities, and they do not get as much practical hands-on experience as we did at ñ. 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 ñ, 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 ñޓ 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 companyñޙs Q Branch ñޓ 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.
ñޜI 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,ñޝ Sam says. ñޜI 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 canñޙt really say much more than that, but ñޓ having just come out of university ñޓ it was a pretty amazing time!ñޝ
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: ñޜThe technology in a cutting edge drone is exactly the same as the technology in vacuum cleaners and supersonic hair dryers.ñޝ
His role in the company was, once again, not dissimilar to the work of Q Branch ñޓ take an idea handed down by, in some cases, the companyñޙs 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 ñ 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 ñޜprototype to productionñޝ and take their product to market.
ñޜIñޙve taken on a strategic leadership position within Balena, which feels like a natural progression in my career,ñޝ Sam says. ñޜIñޙm 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 ñޓ and the company as a whole ñޓ in various ways.ñޝ
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 ñޓ as he highlights, the committeeñޙs 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 personñޙs perspective on the key engineering and technology challenges facing the world, and how the IETñޙs strategy should adapt accordingly.
ñޜThere are some brilliant minds on the IETñޙs young professionals committee,ñޝ Sam says, ñޜand itñޙs been fascinating for me to appreciate their knowledge and insights. Itñޙs 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.ñޝ
There is another reason Sam volunteered to take on the role. And itñޙs 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 ñ when they graduate.
ñޜI ended up moving away from ñ a few years ago because I didnñޙt feel there were the right opportunities here,ñޝ Sam says. ñޜBut 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 ñ area. I hope I can help younger people appreciate that, so that they donñޙt need to leave their hometown to be successful.ñޝ
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