ESBE INTERNSHIP STUDENT, INTERVIEW WITH ANDERS AHLTOFT
2020-10-05
Meet Anders Ahltoft – Degree Project at ESBE
Anders Ahltoft is studying for a Master’s Degree at Jönköping University in the Program of Industrial Design. Prior to that, Anders studied mechanical engineering with a focus on product development and design at the same university, and that was also when he did his degree project at ESBE.
Anders came into contact with ESBE via Karriärum, an annual “Business Day” event arranged by the Jönköping School of Engineering. At this event, students are offered the possibility to meet with companies that offer internship placements, degree projects or extra jobs.
How was it that you choose ESBE as your partner for your degree project work?
I walked around the job fair and collected my degree project work offers when I came to ESBE’s stand. I became curious, asked a few questions, and then submitted my application a few days afterwards. They showed an interest and asked me to come to Reftele to discuss the assignment, which consisted primarily of industrial design and design.
That’s great! Did it work out in the way you had imagined?
It has worked out well, however with the COVID19 pandemic, this of course created special circumstances. We kept in touch mostly remotely, via e-mail exchanges and video chats, as the restrictions that prevailed meant that in person visits to the company were not permissible. At the end of the project work, the report was done on-site and then at that time we were able to have detailed discussions with ESBE employees regarding design and related technical issues.
ESBE has a pronounced humanist philosophy, was there anything in particular you noticed?
For me, ESBE is a company with both high ambitions and an interesting history. What I have perhaps appreciated most has to do with their corporate culture. They have shown me both trust and respect for my needs and desires. I really have been able to work on my own terms.
Unfortunately though, I couldn’t spend as much time at ESBE as I would have liked to, considering the COVID situation, however I’ve still feel that the ESBE culture and the connection to the owner family still characterises the company throughout.
That ESBE is a market leader, was this something you noticed or had an impact on you?
Absolutely. It is most obvious if one studies the design of the products that, in my opinion, distinguishes it (for the better) from that of its competitors. Another thing that made me react is that they are open to listen to new ideas. They consider each alternative before they neither accept nor reject the idea. Their marketing materials are of a high level and create a true picture of them as a company.
And to conclude for now. What do you think the world will look like in 10 years?
That’s difficult to say, because we are living in a contradictory time in term of both instability and progress. What I can say is that I think things will work out for the good one way or another. Mankind seems to be getting better at fixing things up the further along in time one goes, however of course we can’t see any further than where we are right now.