Throughout history, inventors have engineered, designed and shaped our world as we know it. From cutting-edge solutions to breakthrough technologies, our inventors continue to break down barriers and overcome challenges to create solutions that make life easier, more exciting, and more connected.
Innovation drives everything we do at HARMAN, and in honor of National Inventors Month, we asked some of our own talented inventors and engineers what drives them to innovate on a daily basis, how they recognize opportunities for innovation, lessons learned, and more…
What drives you to innovate on a daily basis?
“My driving force is the interaction with my colleagues. I am constantly fascinated by the synergies that happen when you interact with others in a small or large team. As long as you allow these teams to form and work, naturally great things happen. One great thing about being on the Audio Engineering Society (AES) team is that it is here that everything comes together — this is where we make music come alive. This gives us a unique opportunity to see the big picture and consider all aspects of enjoying music in the car.” – Hans, Distinguished Engineer, Acoustic Systems
“I love challenges, especially challenges where others have given up. I might be naive and persistent sometimes, but I think the best innovations are those where you surprise your customers with something they thought was impossible or they didn’t know they needed.” – Niels, Senior Principal Engineer
“I am driven by the many different ways innovation can change or improve a product. We can innovate to enhance a product with new features, or to make products more efficient and reliable – there are no limits! We can all recognize opportunities for innovation by identifying areas where new technologies can be applied to resolve key issues.” – Nathan, Principal Electrical Engineer
What are some lessons or key takeaways you’ve learned while developing new innovations?
“Above all, the value of teamwork. Maybe you read this small word again and again, but if you are involved in projects that are in-person, instead of over calls or virtual meetings, you get fantastic experiences that can only happen when you’re working and collaborating in real time with each other, which also bonds the team.” – Muhammed, Acoustics System Technician
“The importance of a good work-life balance and healthy working environment. To me, they go hand-in-hand. Every time you have a chance to get to know your colleagues better, take that chance and build a good fellowship out of it.” – Stefan, Acoustics System Engineer
What are some of the recent challenges you’ve faced and how did you overcome them?
“The first one that comes to mind was something we faced while working on the Virtual Venues technology for the Fiat New 500 ‘La Prima by Bocelli.’ Scaling down the sound system from these epic venues into a car that only has seven speakers was quite challenging, since these features are usually available in bigger system architectures that grant more flexibility and degrees of freedom in terms of audio tuning.” – Pierpaolo, Acoustics Engineer
“Scaling was very tricky, as well as matching the performance of the proof-of-concept vehicle. There was a lot of pressure on the team to achieve the same in production-level vehicles, and thanks to our entire team’s dedication and commitment, I can say we nailed it!” – Matteo, Acoustics Engineer
At HARMAN, we have always said that our people are our greatest asset. We count some of the best and brightest thinkers, designers, developers, and engineers among our global teams, all working to create connected technologies that enhance experiences and make life easier, productive, and entertaining. To learn more about career opportunities at HARMAN, visit: https://www.harman.com/career