Maths and AI supporting the energy professions

Can you describe your career in a few words?

Alyssa
I studied civil engineering and applied mathematics. After finishing my studies in November 2021, I joined Laborelec as a Math Engineer.
Simon-Pierre
I studied the same thing as Alyssa but I graduated in 2018. I have been working for Laborelec ever since, first as a consultant then as an employee for the past two years.  

Can you describe your job in a single sentence? 

Alyssa
Using mathematical principles and new AI technologies to meet needs in many areas, and helping other Laborelec teams with everything maths related.
Simon-Pierre 
Business experts sometimes have complex problems that require the use of algorithms, mathematical models or AI in a more general sense. We use our analytical skills in data science, optimization and applied mathematics to identify, test and implement solutions, working together with these experts.

Do you view being a man/woman in this job as an asset or an obstacle? 

Alyssa
For me, it’s neither. What counts for an engineer is his or her ability to think in the face of a problem: how to solve it, the originality of their ideas.  So it's more a question of a person's attitude than their gender.
I may have been lucky, but personally I’ve never felt any discrimination or that I was treated differently because I was a woman, either at university or at Laborelec.
Simon-Pierre
Same for me: gender is neither an asset nor an obstacle.
We are here thanks to our skills in applied mathematics, data science and AI. Our way of thinking – our logical mind – does not depend on our gender.

So you disagree with people who say that logic isn’t a “feminine” quality and that girls are useless at maths?

Simon-Pierre
No way! When I look at Alyssa, her logic is every bit as good as the men in the team. 
Alyssa
Especially in mathematics – it’s difficult to solve problems without logic!

You took the same university course at different times. What was the student gender ratio?

Simon-Pierre
The course statistics have been a stable 20% women and 80% men over the past few years. During my studies, most women starting the course in the same year as me saw it through to the end.
Alyssa
Yes, you just have to love maths! There are several fields in engineering. But once you're interested in the material, there's no reason why it's harder for a woman than a man.

What is the gender ratio in your team? 

Simon-Pierre 
In the team, we are all mathematicians. There are two women and six men.

In your view, professional equality means...

Simon-Pierre 
For me, professional equality will be achieved when we no longer have to talk about it. 
But it could also be said that professional equality means giving everyone the same chance, regardless of their gender or where they come from. Finally, there will truly be gender equality when the gender pay gap is eliminated.
Alyssa
It means having access to the same opportunities, and that a person’s career depends exclusively on their skills and what they bring to their work – not their gender.
Simon-Pierre
Diversity within ENGIE is also increasing. There are more and more women in positions of responsibility. Our Managing Director is a woman.
Alyssa
It will be difficult to reach 50% of female engineers when only 20% of graduates are women. But companies are making a big communications effort to attract and engage women. 

Do you have any anecdotes relating to this theme of professional equality?

Alyssa
When I was in my final year at university, a company sent an email to all students insisting that women take part in their recruitment day. 
This email was genuinely aimed at women – and I thought it was appalling. It gave the impression that women were being sought to boost the statistics and the company’s image, and that skills were not the main criterion behind their hiring.
Simon-Pierre
Conversely, everyone would have been shocked if we received an email saying "You are men! Join us!”  
I also experienced something similar in my final year at university during an engineering studies communication campaign that interviewed all students. I thought it was quite a good initiative. But I don't feel it’s the kind of thing that has increased the proportion of women in engineering studies.
Alyssa
The doors aren't closed to women. Nobody says that the engineering profession is only for men. But we still have just 20% women, and I don’t know if we will manage to increase this percentage by much. 

In your opinion, how can we convince girls that this profession is also for them? 

Simon-Pierre
Perhaps by giving them better information about the engineering profession, starting at high school. Explain the possibilities. Go beyond the clichés. Show the opportunities. Point out that it’s quite easy to find work and that it’s also an interesting job!

What aspect of your job do you find most exciting?

Alyssa
For me, it’s discussing with colleagues, challenging ourselves to come up with a better solution, and also listening to opinions. Sometimes we get blocked on a problem. Then someone comes along with an outside perspective and finds a simple, quick solution to unblock us. These are the exchanges that develop our thinking.
Simon-Pierre
I like to talk to colleagues from other Labs who don’t have our knowledge of mathematics. We explain mathematical solutions that can bring something to their everyday work. In the other direction, we also learn what they do. And this knowledge sharing is really cool!
Alyssa
To create a solution, you need to understand the needs. Sometimes, we start from a solution. And in the end, by discussing it, we end up with something more suitable that we hadn’t considered. 

What is the craziest project you have ever worked on? 

Alyssa
Since joining the lab I’ve worked quite a bit on EMS (Energy Management System) projects, which are key projects for ENGIE. So I’m thinking of one of these projects involving various digital teams, each working in its own area of expertise. The organisation needed for effective communication and collaboration between the teams was huge. Working together in this way has also taught me a lot, both on a technical level and about ways of organising, which could be useful for our own team to adopt.
 Simon-Pierre  
Its’ difficult for me to name a particular project, because all the projects I’ve been involved in were very exciting. But there are some that particularly struck me. For instance, the PV Health Scan project, where the goal was to monitor large PV fleets and detect any under-performance. 
I was involved from the start and I saw the project take shape. It even won an Innovation Award in 2022, and a patent was registered to protect the tool. There were so many interesting aspects! The project was a great collaborative effort between our team, with its knowledge of statistics, mathematics and data sciences, and the solar team with its understanding of the industry. This is a classic example of fruitful discussions between business experts and our team of mathematicians.