about Joe
Today we would like to introduce Joe Lorentz PhD student in computer science (computer vision more precisely), who shares his time between DataThings and the CV2I Lab of the SnT - University of Luxembourg, where he shares his good mood on a daily basis.
Thanks to Joe LORENTZ for participating in this Q&A moment! 😋 "
→ Hello Joe, what’s your position/role at DataThings?
Joe: I am a Data Scientist at DataThings and I am pursuing a PhD in collaboration with the University of Luxembourg.
→ That sounds big! In a few words, for what kind of clients and what kinds of projects do you work on?
Joe: I mainly work on a use case from a project with a luxembourgish supplier for the automotive industy. The goal is to improve their visual quality assurance with the help of machine learning. This use case directly feeds and guides my PhD thesis research. Besides my research work, I also support my collegues on other projects, mainly in the domains of computer vision and machine learning.
→ Which technologies/programming languages do you use on a daily basis?
Joe: Most of my programming is done in Python, which is currently among the most widely used languages for data science. For implementing and training neural networks I use Pytorch. We are currently laying the ground work for integrating neural networks in GreyCat, our own technology stack, with the goal to offer higher effeciency and flexibility for industrial clients.
→ What is the best aspect of your job?
Joe: The close relation of research and application. The research questions that I try to solve for my theses are directly linked to problems which DataThings‘ clients are facing. In turn, I have the opportunity to test my solutions on these tangible problems.
→ Are you more formal or relaxed at the work?
Joe: More relaxed I would say.
→ What professional experience has shaped you the most?
Joe: During the end of my bachelor studies at Kaiserslautern I came in contact with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, located close to the university. I was fascinated by their work and the domain of artificial intelligence in general. In the end I prepared both my bachelor and master thesis with their help and worked part-time as research assistant at their premisis.
→ Home office or on-site?
Joe: Nowadays I prefer home office as it easier for me to foucs and also saves me long commuting. I like to come to the office once or twice per week though to bond with my collegues.
→ DataThings we have collaborators from very different backgrounds, can you tell us where you come from?
Joe: I am from Luxembourg and spent most of my life in Furen, a small town next to Vianden. I am very attached to my home and can‘t imagine to settle anywhere else.
→ I hear you like Whisky; with or without ice?
Joe: You should never put ice in a good quality whisky!! If it is too strong, try taking smaller sips and adding just a few droplets of room-temperature water. If this does not help, you should probably get a better whisky :-D
→ Sea or mountains?
Joe: Definitely mountains! Skiing is my favourite sport.
→ What is your background?
Joe: I always liked math, physics and computer science. After school graduation I couldn‘t choose between studies in mechanical engineering or computer science. Fortunately, the Technical University of Kaiserslautern offered an applied computer science program which featured mechanical engineering as an important secondary domain. During my master studies I focused more and more on machine learning and computer vision. Now I am pursuing a PhD in computer vision at the University of Luxembourg.
→ At the office's table soccer, do you rather play with “attackers” or “defenders”? Are you more into "mean diagonal attacks" or more a "brute force" guy?
Joe: I prefer to defend, but honestly, I might very well be the worst player at DataThings (and the whole universe - probably) - so I am happy as long as I manage to hit the ball a few times.
→ How do you come to work on a daily basis?
Joe:Usually by train, I like to lay back and enjoy some audiobook during the ride. Commuting from Furen to Luxembourg city does take lots of time though, so I prefer to stay in home office. I also take the car occasionally, which is faster but also more nerve wrecking...
→ What is your favorite hobby?
Joe: Difficult to choose to be honest, but more recently I got into baking with sourdough and experimenting with fermentation in general. Since then baking bread has become a staple part of my weekend that I don‘t want to miss.
→ What attracted you to DataThings?
Joe: After my studies I wanted to come back to Luxembourg and started too search for job offers related to machine learning. At the time positions were rather scarce and often required a PhD title. When I discovered DataThings I inquired about open positions but didn‘t expect to get a positive answer. A few days later I had a very nice first meeting with Assaad and Thomas. Shortly after I started at DataThings and prepared my application for a PhD grant.
→ What are the 3 emojis you use the most?
Joe: 😜 😃 and 👍
→ What would you say to someone willing to apply at DataThings?
Joe: DataThings offers challenging projects, bridging the gap between research and industry - If this is what you are looking for you should definately apply.
→ Great! Joe thank you for your time, and one last question. What is your favorite place to walk or relax in Luxembourg? 😎
Joe: As I said before, to me the nicest place on earth is my hometown. But to anyone who moved to Luxemourg recently, I would highly recommand to visit the Vianden castle and the Mullerthal trail.
join the team
Are you passionate about machine learning, AI, and software engineering? Do you like to code and work on hard problems? Are you determined and motivated to find the best possible solutions? And above all you are a great team player? We are looking forward to hearing from you!