The art of innovating

Hi.

Carlos Carbajal

My name is Carlos Carbajal, and this is my ePortfolio. At the moment, I am doing a PhD in Digital Innovation in the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow. I chose this topic, or maybe it chose me, because of my profound interest in innovation and technology.

I consider myself curious and creative, since I often spend time, perhaps too much, devising new ways of making everyday tasks more meaningful and efficient.

I enjoy debating any intriguing topic with a wide range of people since I believe that inspiration often comes from where you least expect it. I am a logical, systemic and objective-driven person, but I also reflect on the emotional and subjective interests of the people with whom I work.

Throughout my academic career and professional development, I have sought to maintain a balance between creative ideas and feasible solutions when solving real-life problems. Through skills such as leadership, adaptation and critical thinking, I dedicate myself to the integration of solutions that consider aspects of marketing, engineering and business strategy to provide value and knowledge.

Leveraging the advice from the Graduate Skills Programme, I decided to publish this ePortfolio to share ideas about my interests, my work and my plans for the future. Throughout my ePortfolio, I compile some of the most enriching activities in which I have participated; including my academic, work-related and extra-curricular experience.


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CV – Carlos Carbajal


Blog

Here I go. This is my blog, a space with three objectives in mind; first, explore ideas about technological advances; second, share the progress of my research; and third, find other people, who like me, are interested in these issues.

Fun day: Groundhog Day and quantum mechanics

This time, it’s the turn of quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, instead of trying to explain the advanced math behind it, which I don’t even think I’m qualified to discuss, I will use the movie Groundhog Day to illustrate the superposition principle from quantum mechanics.

9. Agency in Industry 4.0

Our agency comes from our understanding of the world and the objects around us. We don’t feel that we lose agency because we can’t fly. We understand that we are bound to a set of physical rules that define the nature of our world. In the same way, we gain agency over machines when we understand what precise technology is doing and how is it doing it.

8. Terrestrial v Satellite

Although it is possible to compare the technical specifications of these two types of communication—such as data throughput, coverage or cost; the business logic behind these two technologies couldn’t be more different. It would be like comparing a chain of supermarkets (5G), that offers a wide range and volume of products for a large population, with a new company looking to bring drinking water to underserved communities (Satellite).

Professional summary

Academic skills

My interest in technology began at an early age –It always intrigued me to understand how things work and why they were designed that way. This led me to complete my studies in mechatronic engineering at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, in Mexico. After completing these studies, my interests expanded towards aspects of strategy and management. This led me to pursue specialization studies in business consulting and market research. Naturally, my interests broadened once more, this time towards aspects of product design, and for the first time, I discovered the concept of innovation. On this occasion, I decided to pursue a master degree abroad, resulting in the completion of the Global Innovation Management programme, undertaken jointly at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and the Technical University of Hamburg in Germany. During this period, I developed important attributes for my professional development, such as subject specialization, resourcefulness and confidence. All these experiences stemmed in me a renewed interest in the impact of technology on society and economy, motivating me to pursue a PhD degree studying the importance of digital innovation in the context the fourth industrial revolution.

If you want to know more about my academic skills, click here.

Work-related learning

My passion for technology, and later for innovation, also help to forge my professional career. Soon after I finished my bachelor studies, I started working as an independent project manager. This short but meaningful period was an excellent opportunity to develop my critical thinking, resourceful and adaptable skills. This experience, together with the support of my family, motivated me to start my own company. A three-year venture, with the main objective of placing digital and automation technologies at the service of producers and researchers in biotechnology areas. However, by giving priority to my postgraduate studies, I decided to leave my position as general manager of the company. The mission of CODITEC, as the company was formerly known, still lives under a parent company, delivering great products and customer support to clients all around Mexico. This entrepreneurial experience gave me the opportunity to develop my collaboration, communication and social awareness skills.

If you want to know more about my work-related skills, click here.

Extra-curricular activities

As part of my personal development, I decided to pursue a master programme abroad, I selected the Global Innovation Management programme, which entailed two years of learning through a joint curriculum between the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Technical University of Hamburg, in Hamburg, Germany. Over the course of these two years, I gained an extended understanding of European cultures, and improved my communication and inter-cultural skills motivated by the challenges I faced during this period. Additionally, throughout my master’s degree, I participated in several events organized by the institutions where I studied. These opportunities assisted me to further develop communication, and collaboration skills, which were particularly challenging due to limitations of language, experience and understanding. However, by the time I finished the programme I was able to coordinate activities with teams located across the world, I could understand and contribute to the work style of several organizations, and I improved my interpersonal skills.

If you want to know more about my work-related skills, click here.


This eportfolio has been organized using the graduate framework of the University of Glasgow, which allows to identify and develop the necessary skills for a successful professional career. Here, you can have a better look at the University of Glasgow Graduate Attributes Matrix.

Let’s talk!

Here is a form you can fill to get in touch. You can also write me at carbajal.carlos@hotmail.com. Alternatively, a message on Facebook or LinkedIn will also do the job.