ARCHIPELAGO SUCCESSFUL SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

Archipelago Technology – founded in 2012 in Cambridge, UK – specialises in non-contact, low-waste industrial coating. The company uses its PowerdropTM technology to apply waterproof coatings to 3D paper and fibre-based containers to replace plastic food packaging with a sustainable, recyclable alternative. The company is keen to create interest and opportunities for young people in the printing industry.

Every year Archipelago Technology selects a small number of students to work for four to eight weeks during the summer. Each student is given a project which is of strategic importance to the company. They are paid and treated as full-time employees and seated right in the centre of the technical team. The scheme works well for them and for Archipelago. 

“I am a third-year student at Cambridge University Sidney Sussex College, currently studying manufacturing engineering at the Institute of Manufacturing. After university, my goal is to work in areas such as operations, logistics and technical consulting. I am a very hands-on person who prioritises being able to solve problems and get things done. 

“Applying to Archipelago came after seeing an advert that was posted by the Cambridge careers team. The hook lay in having freedom to conduct my own project. I also treasured the opportunity to understand the inner workings of a small engineering start-up.”

“I am a third-year chemistry student at Durham University, with a keen interest in low-carbon technologies that provide innovative solutions for energy transition. With a technical background in chemistry, I am eager to contribute to climate technology by advancing existing innovations or facilitating investment in nascent-stage ideas.

“I approached Archipelago to deepen my understanding of how start-ups drive innovation and to gain valuable insights into the critical interplay between investment, the founder’s vision and the core technology driving the venture.”

“When I first joined Archipelago, I was initially assigned a project to characterise the Powerdrop Compact – a half-scale reproduction of the Powerdrop coater. 
This project was completed by week four, despite having to spend multiple days fighting a flowmeter! 

“After this, I was given another project – to understand the fluid flows in the Powerdrop coater. It was up to me to decide what experiments needed to be done and how I would go about completing them. In the next four weeks of my internship, I acquired vast amounts of knowledge about cameras, light and high-speed imaging. I also went positively insane counting dots to collect data, despite my best efforts to design other programmes and methods to complete the task for me!

“Outside of the two projects assigned specifically to me, I also helped with one other project. Through this, I was able to very effectively develop my skills of coming up with alternative solutions to problems. In my final week, I was assigned the task of training Bede. This experience was immensely valuable as it enabled me to hone my skills in communication and management.”

“I joined Archipelago during Changyue’s final week, which provided a valuable transition period. She introduced me to the company’s operations and trained me on how to operate the various Powerdrop rigs, ensuring I had the confidence to continue her investigations. 

“My initial brief involved optimising the fluid flows within the Powerdrop coater and assessing the viability of alternative methods. Each Friday, I presented my progress to Guy (Newcombe) and Dan, where we identified any interesting results that were worth pursuing the following week. This approach meant that, in my final week, I achieved a good fluid application efficiency using a technique that had initially shown little promise – a hugely rewarding experience.”

“Each student is given a project which is of strategic importance to the company”

One of Changyue’s favourite parts of Archipelago was the people. “We ate lunch together every day and used that time to constantly chat and interrogate one another. 
I also drank far, far too many hot chocolates and vanilla lattes with Lekshmi (paid for by Archipelago!). As a result, I felt like I really got to know the team. 

“One direct impact of this was that I felt very comfortable going to others for advice and support and brainstorming together to collectively solve problems. I also loved being able to pop in on multiple projects and learn what everyone was working on. The amount of knowledge I could gather just by talking to others about their work was immense. 

“I also have to mention the company-funded day out to the Duxford Airfield. A group of engineers being let loose in a place full of interesting machinery and equipment is a sight to see!”

Despite only being contracted to Archipelago for a month, Bede felt that the level of involvement experienced across the company was exceptional. “Daily at 9am, scrum meetings gave me an appreciation of each team member’s individual projects and an understanding of how they contributed to the overall company objectives. Additionally, the autonomy I was granted over my project was invigorating, fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging curiosity.

“The dynamic nature of my investigations, focused on innovative research, made the experience intellectually rewarding. The varied nature of the work ensured that no two days were the same. Highlights included contributing to the build of the new Powerdrop coater and brainstorming sessions towards coating a new design of trays for a customer.”

During her time at Archipelago, Changyue was able to improve her skills in many areas of engineering. “I was able to work on designing and soldering circuits and cables, studying and comparing properties of various materials, fluid mechanics, manufacturing techniques – such as SLA and SLS – as well as 3D printing and design. 

“One of my main takeaways from my time at Archipelago was all the processes involved in keeping a company running smoothly and safely. Tasks are all completed as efficiently and effectively as possible. At the same time, all documents are kept organised and paper trails maintained. 

“From my experience at Archipelago, I was able to confirm that I definitely wanted to solve problems for a career. I also didn’t want to ever have to do anything involving large amounts of counting small things again!”

Initially, Bede was concerned that his lack of engineering background might limit his effectiveness. However, it quickly became clear that general scientific skills are highly transferable. 

“The ability to plan and conduct fair investigations proved crucial during my time at Archipelago. Unlike the structured and directed experiments in my degree, working with an open-ended brief was a liberating experience. This experience genuinely tested my problem-solving abilities in a way that went beyond the typical claims often made in CVs or interviews. 

“The hook lay in having freedom to conduct my own project”

“Furthermore, the necessity to provide solutions to real-world problems encouraged creativity and resourcefulness. My experience at Archipelago inspired me to contact the Solar Research Group at the University of Sydney to conduct my master’s thesis.

“This reflects my growing confidence in my ability to contribute meaningfully to a team in the climate tech space. In applying my learnings from Archipelago, I look forward to finding innovative solutions to advance the energy transition.”