Design as an improvement in industry. The keys to Inko Romero’s product development.

Inko Romero (Urnieta, 1986) has always been interested in observing and learning. In 2009 he completed his studies in Technical Engineering in Industrial Design -now a degree in Product Development- to start his professional career in the company Trenasa (CAF group) working on the design of structures and supports for the railway sector.

The desire to improve and provide solutions is a constant in his career. Consultant in the product development department at INFINITIA, he is currently dedicated to the pre-development and development of hardware and new products. In the projects he participates in, he is in charge of the mechanical and hardware part with the aim of achieving the Minimum Viable Product in the medium term and at a low cost in order to test it on the market as soon as possible.

Inko considers himself an enthusiast of design as a driver of improvement in the industrial field, but also beyond its borders. Between 2011 and 2019, he worked for Segula Technologies Engineering, initially in the wind power sector and then returning to the railway sector. In this way, he provided technical support for Gamesa USA’s wind turbines and also designed structural elements, blade surfaces and their tooling. He also designed cladding, trusses, ventilation systems, kitchens and interior design for trains and trams. At the end of his time at Segula, he focused on studies of new structures and their iterations – together with the calculation department – up to validation of assemblies and welding. He focused on new concepts of modular structures for new platforms, the design of their joints, custom extrusions, the optimisation of parts and the analysis of relative movements.

He has always believed in innovation as the key tool for the development of successful solutions, especially in the industrial sector. Motivated by those beliefs, during 2016, Inko took a leap into entrepreneurship and, together with three colleagues specialised in commercial, marketing and industry, created an engineering and design consultancy. He was in charge of conceptual development, prototype design, 3D design, technical office and reporting for clients. However, his tasks, he emphasises, intermingled with those of his colleagues, participating in all areas. “I’m satisfied with that time, we worked twice as hard, we cursed, we doubted, we dreamt and we failed. All of that is part of my professional learning“, says Inko.

However, he concludes with the conviction that the best solutions are those that not only work locally, but also in other places and markets.