Following six years with Artec 3D as Head of Marketing and PR, Daniela Carr now holds the position of Chief Marketing Officer. Hailing from the U.K. Daniela majored in Italian and Russian at the University of London, and achieved an MA in translation. Following two formative years running events and leading the team at London’s Academia Rossica, an independent arts organisation, Daniela next stepped into editing and translation in the film and news industries. Currently based in Artec 3D’s Moscow office, Daniela in her free time enjoys good wine, Nigerian literature, and particularly cuddly cats.
Daniela, could you let us know about your background and your journey to Additive Manufacturing?
My journey to additive manufacturing was completely random! My background was in promoting arts and culture, organizing and marketing film festivals and literary events. One night I met a friend to discuss some difficulties which had arisen in my job at the time and we talked into the night. A friend of hers was giving her a lift home and offered to drop me off as well. This friend was Leonid Volkov, CBDO of Artec 3D at the time. We chatted during the 15-minute taxi ride and the next day he emailed me, asking if I’d like to come for an interview at Artec 3D! I never considered working in tech before, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
What is the most impressive or impactful use of 3D technology you’ve seen so far?
What I love about 3D technology, specifically 3D scanning, is how it really makes a difference in so many different areas. From cutting down waste in manufacturing by checking the quality of parts and saving those which might otherwise have been scrapped, to making better fitting prosthetics and orthopaedic devices, giving people a much better quality of life or preserving incredible cultural objects and buildings for future generations. We even have a case where one of our scanners was used to reverse engineer and 3D print a tail for an alligator, which allowed him to swim again!
What do you consider game-changing technologies in Additive Manufacturing?
I’m in marketing, so it’s not going to be a surprise to anyone if I talk about an Artec 3D scanner! Despite the bias, however, I absolutely think Artec Leo is one of the most game-changing products in 3D. Standard handheld scanners are connected to a computer, or at best a tablet. In this case, you hold the scanner in one hand and position it towards the object you need to scan – but you need to keep your eyes on the screen of the device. No matter how good the 3D data visualisation you see on the screen – and this varies from scanner to scanner – it is just not intuitive to move the scanner around the object while looking at the screen rather than the object. Now imagine you need to walk around the object at the same time, while moving the angle of the scanner so you capture every part of the object from all sides.
With Artec Leo, the brains of the computer are inside the scanner and the screen is built into the product. This means that when you are looking at the screen your eyeline is aligned with the part of the object you are scanning. When you add to that Leo’s large field of view and impressively fast scanning rate, you have a professional 3D scanner which can be used by absolutely anyone. More than that, it is literally the only professional handheld scanner in the world that you can put into the hands of someone who has never scanned before, give them a one-minute explanation, and that person is immediately able to scan the object and capture all the data in high resolution.
This has enormous implications for professionals in all industries, but particularly for those who are not engineers or technicians. A nurse with only the most basic scanning training can immediately make fast, high quality body scans. Small businesses who perhaps can’t afford to buy their own 3D scanner can club together and share a scanner, or even rent one. Renting a scanner is of course possible, but more often companies buy the whole service as standard 3D scanners require a high skill set in order to achieve quality results. And with Artec Leo, high quality results and professional 3D scanning are now open to a much wider pool of users.
In your opinion, how could we encourage more women to become involved with Additive Manufacturing?
On a more personal note, I have found it absolutely fascinating to learn about the manufacturing industry. It’s something which in Britain is not taught to girls at all and I think this is shocking. Who wouldn’t want to learn about how the world around us is made? Even at the school I attended – a top British girls’ school set up specifically to promote women’s education and to give girls the same educational opportunities as boys – we learnt nothing about engineering or manufacturing. Sure, we were taught the traditional sciences but not only did the possibility of having a career in engineering never cross our minds, we weren’t even given an idea of how the things around us, the technology we use every day, are made.
So, step one for getting more women involved in additive manufacturing? Teach engineering and manufacturing, at least at an introductory level, at all schools and make it compulsory for all genders.
What advice do you have for women looking to get started in 3D Printing?
When I first started working at Artec 3D, my biggest worry was how I would be seen by others (men) in the manufacturing industry, that I wouldn’t be taken seriously because I was new to the industry, a woman and working in marketing. However, I have to say during the 6 years in this job, I have never encountered this attitude. Perhaps I am lucky – perhaps this is because I work at an open company like Artec 3D, which values skills and ideas above all. But really, not just at Artec, also with our global network of resellers and with partnering companies, everyone was more than willing to explain processes that were new to me at the start, while also listening to my ideas and suggestions from the marketing side.
So, my advice to any women new to the industry – don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you need (and don’t forget that many men, especially in marketing, are in the same position as you: new to the industry). Everyone needs to learn at some point. But if you meet with any patronising behavior, don’t put up with it. There are plenty of awesome companies that value having the best talent in their workforce, rather than retaining backward, sexist attitudes that in the end benefit no one.
Favorite 3D tool?
3D scanners, of course!
Favorite moment in your day job?
Creating and developing strategy.
Another inspiring woman you’d like us to interview?
Gina Strickland, Global Sales & Channel Strategy, Software Products at 3D Systems. She is awesome!
