euspen Talent Programme Testimonials
The euspen Talent Programme brings together talented MSc and PhD students from across the international precision engineering community to tackle real-world industry challenges, develop new skills and build lasting connections.
Please click here to read Adriano Pilagatti’s full testimonial >>>
Hear from previous participants about their experiences, the challenges they worked on and what they gained from taking part.
Yasser Zekalmi Richa
Talent Programme | Spain, 2025
“I took part in the 2025 Talent Programme as a member of Team Madrid, working on the challenge proposed in collaboration with FERSA Bearings. Our task was to develop a concept for a fully automatic in-line measurement station for tapered roller-bearing inner rings.
What I enjoyed most was having to turn a real industrial problem into a complete engineering concept within a limited amount of time. As a team, we worked on different aspects of the solution, including non-contact optical measurement, automation and handling, processing of the measured 3D geometry, and the influence of temperature on precision measurements. It was particularly valuable to combine our different technical backgrounds and continuously refine the concept as new problems appeared.
For me, the Talent Programme was much more than a competition. Working with an international team, presenting and defending our engineering decisions, and interacting with people from euspen and industry made the experience both technically challenging and genuinely enjoyable. It also reinforced my interest in precision engineering, metrology and advanced manufacturing, areas that remain closely connected to my PhD research today.
I would definitely encourage other MSc and PhD students to take part. It is a great opportunity to work outside your usual research environment, meet people with very different backgrounds, and see how your technical knowledge can be applied to a real engineering challenge.”
Zequan Yao
Talent Programme | Spain, 2025
“Attending the euspen Talent Programme was honestly such an unforgettable experience for me. It gave me a chance to step away from my daily research and collaborate with people from all over the world, with different research backgrounds, to tackle open-ended and challenging problems.
During the competition, I worked with Matthew Ellis Hill from the University of Huddersfield and Simon Schäfer from TU Ilmenau. Although our research interests are different, this variety brought so many fresh perspectives to us. We had to understand the problem, propose solutions, and discuss and refine our designs within the deadline.
Through this process, I came to realise that a good solution relies not only on technical expertise but also on effective communication, task allocation, time management and mutual trust among team members.
Winning the Talent Programme was certainly exciting, but what we learned while working as a team was the best part. A big thank you to euspen for putting on such an awesome international event. It really gives young researchers a place to show their skills, build new connections, learn different ways of thinking and gain a deeper understanding of the true value of teamwork.”
Yan Wei
Talent Programme | Spain, 2025
“The most rewarding part of the euspen Talent Programme was working with my teammates to develop a proposal for an automated measurement system for a tapered roller bearing inner ring.
I particularly enjoyed exploring different approaches together and gradually bringing our ideas into a shared design. Discussing modularity and the practical requirements of mass production taught me a great deal about the considerations involved in designing a system for industrial use.
Working through these questions together was challenging, but seeing our proposal take shape gave me a real sense of achievement. At the conference, I also made good friends from other teams, and exchanging ideas with them helped me see different ways of approaching the same engineering challenge.”
Abdullah All Mamun Anik
Talent Programme | Spain, 2025
“It was a tremendous honour for me to be a high-flier in one of Europe’s leading Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology challenges, the 2025 euspen Talent Programme Final at Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
The team challenge required us to formulate ideas quickly, think critically and work meticulously under pressure to tackle complicated, real-world precision engineering challenges. This was the aspect of the programme that I admired most.
Beyond the learning environment, it was a fantastic opportunity to develop practical skills, expertise and tangible competencies, while boosting my professional acumen and confidence in developing productive, industry-oriented engineering solutions.”
Sahar Karimian
Talent Programme | Dublin, 2024
“I really enjoyed my time on the euspen Talent Programme, and it was a great learning experience for me. Working on a real-world challenge with a dedicated team taught me a lot, not only technically but also about teamwork, problem-solving and working together towards a practical solution.
I also had the opportunity to meet many great people from different backgrounds, and I’m still in contact with some of them today – a few have even become very good friends.
Looking back, it was a valuable experience that I learned a lot from and will always remember.”
Danish Ashraf
Talent Programme | Dublin, 2024
“Participating in the euspen Talent Programme has been one of the most rewarding milestones of my academic journey.
Teaming up remotely with teammates from different parts of the world to develop a prototype from the ground up challenged me to build strong cross-functional collaboration skills and learn an entirely new field outside my area of expertise in a very short span of time. Working through the stages of the competition opened my eyes to the types of engineering problems and stringent requirements that industries tackle on a daily basis.
Reaching the finals of the euspen Talent Programme 2024 and winning first place was an incredible honour. Pitching our solution to the team at Stryker, followed by a tour of their manufacturing facilities in Cork, Ireland, made the experience even better.
The programme helped me build confidence and lasting peer connections across Europe, while giving me a better understanding of real-world challenges beyond academia.
For any student eager to expand their network, step outside their comfort zone and understand their future role in precision engineering, I wholeheartedly recommend the euspen Talent Programme!”