Last summer, Ilona Sjöblom took her first steps into the world of maritime technology as a summer employee at Steerprop. This summer the 23-year-old Environmental Engineering student at the University of Oulu returned to Steerprop to build on the experience she gained in the QHSE team last year.
"The work continued directly from last summer. Between the summers, I worked on my Bachelor's thesis as an hourly employee, focusing on calculating the carbon footprint of Steerprop´s propulsion unit. This summer, I’ve been able to concretely use the calculation model I developed," she explains.
This year, Ilona’s role expanded to focus even more on environmental issues: “My job description has changed from last year and is now more focused on environmental issues, especially on calculating the carbon footprint of the organization and products,” she says. "These are large, time-consuming projects, and they've filled up my desk the most. Of course, I’ve also had some familiar tasks from last year, like occupational safety issues, quality documentation, and translation work."
One of the biggest challenges Ilona encountered is the early stage of carbon footprint calculation in the maritime industry. "Carbon footprint calculation is still in its infancy for some players in the maritime industry, which makes our work more challenging," Ilona says. "But with new legal regulations, this will soon become mandatory, and I’m excited to see how the industry will change."
Ilona appreciates the opportunity to continue developing her skills, not just in environmental engineering but also in understanding the maritime industry.
It’s been great to deepen my knowledge in this field. Working on the concrete process of calculating the carbon footprint is an interesting continuation of the theoretical work I did for my Bachelor’s thesis, even though it came with some challenges, she says.
"My next goal is to write my Master’s thesis, likely on sustainability and environmental issues. It’s going to be a key part of my studies in my fifth year, and I’m hoping to continue contributing to Steerprop’s responsibility agenda," she continues, already looking ahead.
As for her experience at Steerprop this summer, Ilona reflects on the strong team dynamics. “It’s been nice to work with familiar faces from last summer and get to know them better this year. We’ve also had some great new additions to the team, and the atmosphere has been really good," she says.
Ilona remains optimistic about the future of the maritime industry. “The maritime industry offers huge opportunities for environmental engineering students like me, especially with the growing need for emissions calculations,” she explains. "With many companies setting deadlines for carbon neutrality, I’m excited to see what’s ahead."
Ilona’s summer work has been a valuable continuation of her learning and professional development:
I’ve learned so much working with emissions calculations, even though I started with a blank slate. It’s been challenging to create and implement a new process, but I’ve gained a lot of useful skills in the very field I want to work in going forward.
As she prepares for the next chapter in her studies and career, Ilona is thankful for the opportunities Steerprop has provided. "I’m grateful for the chance to continue working here while studying, and I look forward to seeing the final carbon footprint reports for both the organization and products. Even though there’s still work to be done, we’ve made significant progress since last summer," she concludes.
Steerprop´s Summer Trainee positions for summer 2025 are now open. Read more and apply here https://steerprop.com/careers/summer25
