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Damir has been working in technology for more than 25 years - and with each passing year, his passion for technology continues to grow. Damir: “I think it’s important to spread my enthusiasm for microscopy to children and to my other colleagues.” What path has his career taken and how is he promoting technology?

Can you tell us a little more about your technical background?
“I grew up in Yugoslavia and followed a programme for mechanical engineering there. After that, I was  an aircraft mechanic for a very long time. You learn a lot from that kind of experience. You just can't make any mistakes. You either give the red or green light and the plane has to be in working order. Then I moved to the Netherlands to work at what was then Philips (VDL ETG) as a visual inspector. After that I worked at NTS for a while as a mechatronics/ prototype technician where I set up the entire washing station. My experience really came in handy for that. Then I went back to VDL for a very nice project, where I was inspecting products at 100 times magnification (class 1,000). That's why at VDL they called me: the ‘particle hunter’. That was an enormous challenge. I tested the most sensitive parts of the microscope. Maybe you can imagine that when you magnify something 100 times, you are able to see much more than if you only magnify it nine times. Uncovering the errors was a complex task.”

What was the best project for you?
“I worked with a colleague on a TSU plate. That is the plate located under the wafer of a wafer handler. The wafer handler is part of the chip machine from ASML. The engineer wanted to demonstrate that a variety of particles were present on this plate. My job was to make these 60 um (0.0060 mm) particles visible and record the images under the microscope. Since these particles are the same colour and so incredibly small, it was not possible for them to show up using just the microscope. Instead, I gave these particles a different colour using a marker. No one had ever done this before, but it helped make them visible under the microscope. This just goes to show that it’s important to use creativity to help you achieve your aims. That is really one of the things I want to show when promoting technology - how creative technology actually is. I am actually a real artist under the microscope. The experience I gained as an aircraft mechanic also came in handy. Every day I discover new discrepancies that I aim to resolve before passing it on to the customer. When I was repairing aeroplanes, there was no room for error. In that sense, these products are no different.”

How did your passion for promoting technology develop?
“In the past when VDL was still Philips, I gave a lot of training sessions for young people. I like to immerse myself in the world of children and I also got some very positive feedback. The children would ask: “Can I come here again with you next time?” Really nice!”

What are you doing now to promote technology?
“I have my own foundation, it’s called ‘Stichting Knoop’ (Button Foundation). I also used to be a button maker. And what does a button do? It connects things together and has a warming effect. That is exactly what I am trying to do with my foundation. I am trying to connect people through technology as well as through music. I also helped out with the Dutch Technology Week for the first time this year by giving a microscopy workshop.

I am also part of the VDL ETG employee association. For example, I held a microscopy workshop with Santa Claus for children where they could look at gingerbread cookies under a microscope. There was always a line waiting for the microscopes. Fantastic, isn't it?”

What are your plans for the future?
“I want to transfer my positive energy to others! Because technology is just that awesome!"