How determined do you have to be to make a career as a scientist? Do all future positions have to be in the same field as the focus of your Ph.D. research? And what’s it like to transition from academia to industry?

In this episode of Science on Surfaces, we take a different approach and dive into the mind of the scientist. We talk to Dr. Fredrik Andersson, Scientist and Project Leader at Agriculture and Food for Nouryon Performance formulations, about his career path, which started with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, followed by a postdoc, from where he then moved on to jobs in industry.

The conversation covers career plans, personal and professional drivers, and reflections on how determined you must be to pursue a career in science. We talk about Dr. Andersson’s decision to do a Ph.D. and what about science inspires him. He also shares his story of why he decided to leave academia for industry, and how he experienced this transition. And not only did Dr. Andersson take the academia-industry leap, but he also changed research fields and moved from the area of biochemistry to that of surfactants, which is a topic that we of course also had to talk about. Finally, Dr. Andersson shares his thoughts on what’s challenging and what’s fun with his current position, and what career plans he has for the future.

Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog - the Surface Science blog

24. From biochemistry to surfactants and the academia – industry leap