Eva Sbirrazzuoli

‘Learning about biobased materials’

Student Eva Sbirrazzuoli from France knew what she wanted: an internship at a startup, dealing with biobased materials. A web search led her to Plantics. And after a short application process, she started her 6-month internship in the spring of 2023.

‘I already did another internship in the Netherlands, so I knew the country a bit. It wasn’t a big cultural shock. I arranged my housing myself, got a bike and I was ready to start’, Eva smiles. Her education within the national graduate school of chemistry of Montpellier (ENSCM) prepared her for a master’s degree in chemistry.

Particle boards

‘During my internship I did research on particle boards with the Plantics resin. I was involved in optimizing the process and the performance of the boards. I did mostly lab work.’ Eva’s main task was to make different versions of the materials and test them. ‘And of course, writing reports about my findings.’

Part of the team

Eva really felt part of the team at Plantics. ‘In such a relatively small company you feel your work is useful. You are helping the company to grow, which feels rewarding. And the team organizes a lot of activities outside of work as well, like dinners, sports or going out. And because Plantics is an international company, everybody speaks English. Meetings and presentations are in English, so I didn’t experience a language barrier.’

Preparation for working live

She felt really free as an intern: ‘You organize your project yourself. And if you need any help, you can ask your supervisor or another colleague. I met with my supervisor on a weekly basis, but whenever I needed her, I could just walk by.’ Overall, Eva had a fun time as an intern at Plantics. ‘And of course, I also learned a lot. Not only about biobased composites, but also about how to handle a project, deal with setbacks and solve problems. A good preparation for working life.’

From intern to employee

‘Biobased materials had my interest ever since I started studying. I value doing something useful for the environment, in combination with chemistry, my field of expertise. And I felt like doing an internship at a startup. I was curious about the difference with other internships I did, in a more academic environment.’ That Eva was happy about her internship, is clear: now she is part of the Plantics team as an employee.