Cut the constraints and find your inner child

In an industry loaded with constraints, standards and linear processes, out-of-the-box thinking can be a real challenge for many in the high-tech domain. After spending years of learning physical laws, technical concepts and general rules of thumb, it’s no wonder many engineers see the problems to solve with an analytical eye. After all, the best answer to a technical problem is a very practical solution, right? But where does that leave room to be creative?

Like many other engineers working in high tech, this narrative certainly holds true for Roger Amiot, a senior compliance engineer at Fluidwell, a company specialized in the development of sensors, flow meters and other electronics rated for use in hazardous and even explosive environments. “My work focuses on all kinds of certifications, from electrical safety to radiation to explosion safety and metrology,” describes Amiot. “Almost all my professional activities are closely tied to industry safety standards and just by nature, that means I’m very limited in opportunities to be creative.”