“It fills me a lot to think that what I do is not going to remain on paper”

2016/06/03 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Elkarrizketak
• Ingeniaritza

Naiara Moreira confesses that she was a researcher driven by her creative vocation. “I am a telecommunications engineer and the outings I found after finishing the studies were, on the one hand, as consul, in which the work is almost always similar, and on the other, research and development, which allows to create new things. That satisfies me much more, so that’s why I entered the world of research.”

So, when the opportunity arose to carry out the final project in Tecnalia, he did not hesitate. Thanks to this he knew what is the world of research, what projects develop in this type of centers... He was then recommended to continue at the university, in the research group APERT (Applied Electronics Reseach Team), where he decided to study for his doctorate. In Ondo bidea will present the thesis this year.

Moreira explained that the objective of the thesis is to improve the protection system of the communications protocol of intelligent electric substations. “And it is very important to protect it well: in an electrical vacuum the time error of a single microsecond can have serious consequences, such as the interruption of power supply.”

Be applied, motivating

For Moreira it is very motivating that his research is so applied. “It fills me a lot to think that what I do is not going to remain on paper, that it can be useful and that it can serve to improve the quality of life of people.”

However, not everything is so pleasant and recognizes that it is difficult to plan in the long term, especially because there are always problems. “Also, as we are dedicated to innovation, we have no model; no one has done what we want to do, therefore, we cannot follow the steps of anyone, we have to give ourselves. That is sometimes hard.” Yes, he has recognized that it is very rewarding to see that step by step goes in good direction.

In turn, he likes the environment they have in the research team, since the faculty also participates in the projects of the students and forms a compact group, although each has its jobs and responsibilities.

Looking ahead, the first objective is to finish the thesis. Then I would like to work in the industry, in the Basque Country itself. “I think I have opportunities, so I’m going to fight for it.”