- On July 6th, INFINITI Academy engineers commenced their second rotation of the automotive-to-motorsport placements with INFINITI and Renault DP World F1® Team
- The seven engineers, which include 2019 Canadian winner, Mathhew Kemp, remained active through the first six month placement. Their work continued throughout lockdown, some of which included projects to support COVID-19 patients
Paris, France/Mississauga, Ont. – On July 6th, the 2020 INFINITI Engineering Academy candidates commenced the second rotation of their unique automotive-to-motorsport placements with INFINITI and Renault DP World F1® Team, as the current edition of the INFINITI Engineering Academy reaches its mid-point.
The seven INFINITI academy engineers have completed the first six month placement under extraordinary circumstances due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, and will now switch positions between the INFINITI Technical Center in Cranfield and the Renault DP World F1® Team Technical Center in Enstone.
Matthew Kemp – 2019 Canadian INFINITI Engineering Academy winner
Matthew Kemp, Canada's 2019 INFINITI Engineering Academy winner, completed his first part of the placement with Renault DP World F1® Team, working with the Composites Design Group. Kemp's role consisted mainly of designing the internal and exterior laminate structures of composite components on the R.S.20 race car, as well as their associated tooling.
Commenting on his six months with Renault DP World F1® Team, Kemp said, "I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Renault DP World F1® Team and it was extremely rewarding to see some parts that I worked on being used on the R.S.20 race car the past three weekends. Additionally, I spent some time with the R&D Materials group helping design and produce material test samples for new metallic alloys, heat treatments and composite materials. Near the end of my placement, I was also deeply involved in the development of the new rear crash structure. This project brought together all the learnings I gained over the past months into one project, which I really enjoyed."
Matthew is now working at the INFINITI Technical Centre in Cranfield. He is part of the Exterior Systems Design Group, and he looks after several exterior systems including the lamp, wiper and mirror systems on multiple models. "So far, I have been introduced to many projects reaching many areas; from Design and Testing, to Supplier Management and System Setup. I am settling into my role nicely, and I am excited to see what the next six months have to offer," said Kemp.
How to adapt during a worldwide pandemic: from building cars to ventilators
Throughout the placements, engineers like Kemp remained active during lockdown, working from home on different projects while in staying in touch with their teams and line managers. Some of the engineers have also devoted their time during lockdown to collaborate with Renault Sport Racing on ventilator projects to support COVID-19 patients.
Such is the case of Nimo Li (current INFINITI Engineering Academy China winner) and Damien Turlay (INFINITI Engineering Academy European winner 2017, currently a full-time engineer with Renault Sport Racing at their powertrain facility in Viry-Châtillon). Li collaborated in the BlueSky ventilator project in the UK, while Turlay was involved in the engineering of MakAir respirators in France.
"2020 has been an exceptional year for everyone. We are very proud of our Academy Engineers – not only for staying focused and making the most of this unique opportunity in the most unusual and challenging circumstances, but also for finding ways to support those affected by the virus and devoting their remarkable engineering talent to such a worthy cause', said Tommaso Volpe, director, Global Motorsports, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.
INFINITI's support and collaboration with Renault DP World F1® Team during these unusual circumstances goes beyond the INFINITI Engineering Academy and includes stay at home activities such as the 'Carigami Q50 Honey Badger edition'.
The INFINITI Engineering Academy is a unique program in its seventh year, and the most successful technical recruitment initiative of its kind. It is the only program to offer a placement in both automotive and F1®. The Academy is unmatched in the range of opportunities and experiences for the seven 2020 winners, selected from INFINITI markets around the world.
For more information about the INFINITI Engineering Academy, please visit academy.infiniti.comOpens in a new tab..
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