– The magic happens in the lab

– The magic happens in the lab. We have an impressive team with software developers and engineers who rethink battery technology and energy storage. The way Hagal designs and integrates hardware and software drives disruptive battery innovation. Helping Hagal develop smart batteries for a more sustainable future motivates me, Graziela explains. 

 

From Rio to Drammen 

When the engineer from Rio de Janeiro moved to Norway in 2019, she had spent more than 10 years working with lab technology in the clinical hospital sector in Brazil. Her husband had been employed in a Norwegian company in Rio for many years, and they decided to seize the opportunity to move to Norway to get new experiences.

 

The unthinkable happened. The pandemic broke out shortly after arriving in Drammen, limiting her opportunities to establish new relationships. Eventually she got involved in volunteer work and built friendships that led her to Hagal and Hokksund. 

 

– Getting started in the Norwegian market can be challenging for foreigners without local experience. Adding the pandemic, it gets even more complicated. I was thrilled to be introduced to Hagal and find that my experience and background was such a good match, Graziela says. 

 

Quality and safety 

Graziela has extensive experience working with quality control, safety procedures and continuous improvement. She is an expert in the Six Sigma quality management tool, and can use qualitative and quantitative techniques to drive process improvement. 

 

This competency has proven to be valuable for Hagal. As the company scales up product development and business operations, professionalizing and improving HSE policies and quality processes is pivotal. 

 

– The ability to adapt and rethink the way we do things – in a context of constant change and a push towards more sustainable solutions, is part of our internal culture. I have been trusted with the task of establishing safety and quality routines, and the role as safety representative in our battery center in Hokksund, she explains,

 

– At Hagal there is high involvement and rotation in tasks and projects, and I am constantly learning new things. There are no monotonous routines. Work tasks may vary from organization and operational support to storage control. The only thing we keep as a routine is to think one step ahead and continuously improve. 

 

There will be a lot of action at the battery center and labs in the coming months. New hires will be coming in and we just need to be prepared to start expanding our operations.

 

Taking root in Norway 

Although English is the official language in the company and the work environment is international, Graziela is set to learn Norwegian. She also intends to do a Master’s in Norway at some point, and is currently taking Norwegian driving lessons. 

 

– I want to seize all the opportunities to get even more established here in Norway and build my engineering career. Hagal has given me a great boost, she smiles. 

 

– Renewable and efficient energy is at the core of the climate change mitigation. We need more political incentives to accelerate this shift. Smart and clean solutions for energy infrastructure are emerging, and educational institutions and companies are penetrating the market. The window of opportunity is wide open, she concludes.