Finding the customer’s optimized flow

Originally a boat builder, educated in Germany, Florian Vesting is fascinated with everything concerning boats and ships. After studies in Kiel, Germany he took his Ph.D. at Chalmers, Gothenburg. With a specialty in simulations-driven design and optimizations, he now is responsible for making the applications stand out for the customers.

As a proven naval architect with about 10 years of experience in simulation-driven design, fluid dynamics, and a Ph.D. in multidisciplinary optimization, Florian successfully combine skills in developing strategies with accomplishing optimization tasks. His professional career started off in the production and selling of sailing yachts. He ended up in Gothenburg in 2010, wanting to learn more about hydrodynamics and propeller performance. It has resulted in several academic papers and finally in a Ph.D., with the thesis on marine propeller optimization.

He’s an engineering expert in understanding things that physically affects boats and their propelling systems. Boats still fascinate Florian, even if he today works with a broad range of applications to digitally map the physical reality of his customers, rather than just marine ships.

Florian has lived in Sweden for ten years, now with family and two kids.

“Engineering and simulation-driven innovation is what I’m dedicated to.”

What is it you actually do at Volupe?

– I work with the insight on our applications function and what they can be used for. One of the more important things I do is to help the customer find the right tool. This can be hard as the customer wants a specific methodology. Even the technical aspect matters, as the physics can play a major influence. When this happens, I need to look closer into the model itself, as it must be re-adapted according to external factors and, of course, reality. Understanding reality is one of the more fascinating and important parts of my work. Wind, water, air and everything else in physics impact in different ways, in different environments. And our customers have a multitude of environments to consider, as well as problems to solve.

Why do you do what you do?

– I’m inspired of the task to find a specific solution for a specific situation, and a specific flow. For example, the slightest change in water flows can change the possible solution. Optimization is vital, as well as testing and simulations. It might give you a geometry that wasn’t even on the table from the start. Yes, the results surprise me sometimes. But this is also what I find fascinating and what started my deepened interest in flow optimization.

– I’m passionate about simulation-driven design. With it we find designs that can match the needs and wants of the customers. It also offers a big opportunity for Volupe, as it facilitates us finding enhanced solutions compared to what’s on the market. And to significantly develop both others’ and our own solutions.

“Optimization and technology are my dire passions.”

What’s your driving force?

To always find a better solution. To find the best possible solution in a given situation. Especially as the conditions get more and more specific, interconnected and complicated, as there always is something else you need to take into account – like increased physical requirements and increasingly external demands, e.g. durability. I do like to work with “digital twins” (or virtual twins), as they can unlock certain values and give room for optimizations, to better predict the performance of the real twin.

Engineering and simulation-driven innovation is what I’m dedicated to. Optimization and technology are my dire passions.

So, when are you satisfied with your work?

When the solution is better than what you had from the beginning. Starting off from a given solution and making it better is very satisfying to me.

How do you do what you do?

My main approach is to try to incorporate reality, something that wasn’t always possible before. Having the right input is absolutely essential. As a simulation almost always is a simplification, it’s important to be able to minimize the restricting conditions of the simulation. We want to make the solution as adequate as possible, always try to limit the risk of error source.

“It’s important that the customer understand that we know what we are talking about.”

What’s important to you as you meet other people?

Firstly, that both I and our customer are competent people. It’s important that the customer understand that we know what we are talking about. If not, we need to help the customer to grasp how our product can be used and to get the most out of it.

Secondly – as I teach and explain at several occasions – it’s a gift and quite exciting to see when people understand you, and also are able to develop thoughts and ideas of their own. So, the ability to get my point through is very important to me.

Anything special you are proud of to accomplish?

Volupe is special. To have been able to lift our business to the point where we are, together with everyone else. Last year was a fantastic one, with many new and interesting customers. I’m proud to have helped create this growth, and our good customer response.

What about the future?

I think our market will get tougher, and that it is a positive thing. It will require more and better simulations. We must better ourselves, must develop everything. We must also be open to see things yet unseen by us, things that reduce emissions etc. All in order to improve the business.