Nothing helps to expand the way of thinking better, then a diverse team. Hiring people with different experience and background creates groups, in which people stimulate each other to be more creative and innovative. Researchers proved that companies with greater number of women are more likely to introduce radical new innovations into the market over a two-year period.
Academics from the University of Castilla – La Mancha checked the levels of gender diversity in R&D teams from 4,277 companies. As their research showed, gender diversity within R&D teams generated certain dynamics that fostered novel solutions leading to radical innovation. A great example of such collaboration is the EDC team working on an engineering challenge that can transform aviation industry and help free air from pollution.
Meet Alicja, Estera and Maria – these three women are a part of the team at EDC that is creating components for GE’s Catalyst™. Their goal? To create a compressor that, thanks to the most modern and innovative manufacturing methods in the world, limits emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere and reduces consumption of aviation fuel by up to 15%. General Electric Company Polska received EU grant from the National Centre for Research and Development to create, validate and implement this technology into practice.
Designing the innovative compressor for the first turboprop aircraft engine in the 21st century, created almost from scratch, is a difficult task for a team of specialists. Engineering Design Center selected their best and the brightest to take on this challenge. Among the team are three women working hard to close another stage of the „Fast Track” Projects.
Alicja manages the team designing bearings, seals and systems lubrication. The components they create have no equivalent anywhere in the world. Lots of meetings, many reviews, hundreds of emails – this is her professional daily. Estera is a designer, her team is 3D ‘printing’ components to one of the key structural parts of the compressor. – Thanks to the use of the world’s most modern production methods our compressor will be “eco” – explains Estera. Maria started working at GECP by participating in the General Electric program for talented engineers, “Edison”. She subsequently worked as an engineering support for assembly processes of prototype compressors and engines. Presently, she mostly coordinates the mechanical configuration of the compressor tests in extreme working conditions such as the Ice Crystals test.
The challenges facing EDC engineers are unique on a global scale. Diverse teams foster a culture which encourages a variety of opinions and brings the best possible solution to the table. That is what helps our engineers excel in their task and gives them much broader perspective and possibilities. Thanks to commitment of our EDC engineers soon an innovative product, that will transform the future of flight, will be created.
The subject of diversity and women in technical areas was also raised in October issue of “Zwierciadło”.