Innovation Technologist
Martha Anderson-Taylor
Martha graduated with an integrated Master’s in Natural Sciences, specialising in Physics. The pandemic prompted a move to the Lake District and Martha joined James Cropper in 2022. She started as a Technical Specialist, working in the laboratory and a year later, transferred to the Centre for Innovation as an Innovation Technologist.
" I am motivated by the opportunity to learn new skills and implement them in my role and am currently undergoing an apprenticeship programme in project management through James Cropper. Being able to look back and realise how much more proficient I am at something than I was a year ago, or even a few weeks ago, provides great satisfaction and the desire to keep learning and improving. "
JS
Tell us about your role at James Cropper
MA-T
My role involves working with the wider Centre for Innovation team, as well as various colleagues from across the Paper & Packaging and Advanced Materials businesses to initiate and progress projects which will have a long-term impact on the future of James Cropper. Projects include working on disruptive product development or ways to improve the company’s environmental credentials, for example through decarbonisation.
JS
What attracted you to the role and what do you like about working at James Cropper?
MA-T
Throughout my education in STEM, I always preferred learning about things that felt tangible to me – materials science over cosmology, for example. Realising that there was an opportunity to work in a beautiful part of the country, in a technical role, on something so tangible as product development, felt like a great fit.
My role has the potential to provide real value to the company in the long term, which provides daily motivation and job satisfaction. Although I am in a relatively junior role, I love the amount of variety and freedom there is in my day-to-day work.
My role has the potential to provide real value to the company in the long term, which provides daily motivation and job satisfaction. Although I am in a relatively junior role, I love the amount of variety and freedom there is in my day-to-day work.
JS
What can we all do to encourage women to explore these careers?
MA-T
It wasn’t unheard of for me to be the only female in the lecture hall at university and my career is now also in a traditionally male-dominated arena. Recognition of this scenario, however, means that there are a multitude of opportunities targeted at encouraging and supporting women in these fields. I feel valued in my role as I offer different perspectives in overcoming problems and can make a real difference to the outcome. I believe that seeing other women genuinely enjoy, succeed and progress within an organisation provides the greatest motivation for women to pursue similar careers.
JS
How do you balance work and life?
MA-T
When entering the world of full-time work, I made the conscious decision to prioritise living somewhere that would encourage me to enjoy a healthy work-life balance. Living and working on the edge of the Lake District means that I can easily enjoy time outdoors after work. Meanwhile, I find simply working regular Monday to Friday hours hugely valuable in being able to make plans for activities outside work at weekends, especially travelling to see friends and family.
JS
What industry trends and innovations are you most excited about?
MA-T
Paper products are having a resurgence due to their environmental credentials compared to those of plastic alternatives. It will be fascinating to see how far the properties of papers can be pushed over the coming years to meet the technical requirements of functional products.