Author: sHq_LoGiNz

For Madison Smith, engineering was always about versatility. She earned her degree in mechanical engineering with a focus on biomedical applications, never imagining she’d find her way to HVAC.

Today, she’s a participant in Trane Technologies’ Graduate Training Program (GTP), preparing to take on her new role in Vancouver, B.C., as a Service Account Manager. “I never would have expected to go into HVAC,” Madison says. “But my internship with Trane Technologies really opened my eyes. I realized that I could combine my technical background with something that helps people.”

VIDEO: How Madison Found Community in the Graduate Training Program

Conquering the learning curve

Like many new grads, Madison quickly realized that stepping into industry came with a steep learning curve. “After four or five years of studying, you get to the field and suddenly realize how much you still don’t know,” she reflects. “Especially in HVAC, which is so specialized. If you don’t have a company that’s willing to invest in your training, it can be really overwhelming.”

That’s what made the GTP so appealing: a five-month immersive program that blends hands-on learning with real-world exposure, designed specifically for early-career professionals in sales, engineering and service. “A lot of companies just throw you in. But here, we’re getting the foundation we need to succeed.”

Theory, practice and people

What sets the Graduate Training Program apart for Madison is how it connects conceptual knowledge to real-world application. “In university, you learn a lot of theory. But this program shows you how it actually applies in the field, in real mechanical rooms, with real customers, solving real problems. That’s been my favorite part.”

It’s also given her the chance to build relationships with customers in diverse industries. “HVAC touches every kind of industry. In service, I get to work with education, healthcare and even industrial clients. It’s diverse and dynamic, and because I’m customer-facing, I’m constantly learning from the people I support.”

Bridging the sustainability gap for customers

Madison sees her role as not just a technician or problem solver, but a knowledge-sharer. “There’s a real gap in technical and sustainability knowledge with many of our customers,” she explains. “I’m excited to be able to empower them with that knowledge. I can walk into their mechanical room and help them identify opportunities to meet their sustainability goals.”

She credits Trane Technologies’ clear mission, to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world, as a driving force behind her own.

“I didn’t realize how big of a role HVAC plays in reducing community emissions until my internship. Especially in Vancouver, where there’s a push for electrification and a lot of aging infrastructure. I know we can make a huge impact.”

A culture of confidence

Above all, Madison highlights the collaborative spirit of the program. “You can tell a lot of time went into planning this. Everything is so well organized. The instructors are always available, and the other participants are so supportive. We learn by teaching each other, and that culture of community creates a really great learning environment.”

Her advice for other young engineers? Don’t go it alone. “If you’re a people person, I recommend doing sales engineering. And the Graduate Training Program is a really great option. It’s able to train you and ramp you up to a good baseline level of knowledge so you can step into your career more confidently.”

Explore HVAC Account Manager positions at Trane Technologies.

Originally published by Mastercard

Europe’s economic future rests on its smallest players. More than 25 million micro and small businesses make up 99% of all EU enterprises and employ nearly half the population. Yet, a persistent gap is holding them back.

A new report from the Mastercard Strive EU programme, “Enabling Innovators, Empowering Micro-businesses: A Path to Europe’s Competitiveness”, reveals a stark reality: while 84% of micro-businesses recognise digitalisation as essential, barriers such as complexity and limited capacity keep them on the sidelines as larger firms surge ahead. Closing this gap is critical for Europe’s competitive, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

The Innovators driving Europe’s digital future

Start-ups, scale-ups, and organisations creating digital solutions for micro-businesses, dubbed the Innovators, are shaping Europe’s transformation. They understand the challenges: tight budgets, no IT teams, competing priorities, and the need for immediate value. The report highlights both the opportunities and obstacles Innovators face, and what’s needed to help them scale.

Four ways to unlock Innovators’ potential

1. Build strong partnerships

Direct sales to micro-businesses are costly and inefficient. Innovators depend on partners – financial institutions, trade associations, larger solution providers – to distribute tools and build trust. Yet, partnership processes remain slow and resource heavy. A more coordinated ecosystem is essential.

2. Provide tailored funding and support

Access to capital is a major hurdle, especially during the scale-up phase. Innovators need simplified public funding, mission-aligned private investment, and non-financial support such as mentorship, expert guidance, and structured market-entry pathways.

3. Simplify regulation

Complex, fragmented rules increase compliance costs and can delay market entry. Regulations on emerging technologies like AI must be proportionate, predictable, and harmonised to encourage innovation rather than stifle it.

4. Close the adoption gap

Micro-businesses want solutions that are affordable, relevant, simple, and quick to integrate. Strengthening collaboration between Innovators and micro-businesses is key to scaling impact.

A call for coordinated action

Europe’s competitiveness depends on empowering micro and small businesses with digital tools, trusted partnerships, and sustainable practices. Innovators are ready to scale – but they cannot do it alone.

Four priorities demand urgent attention:

• Targeted support for regions and sectors slow to digitalise.
• Create EU-backed platforms connecting Innovators with mentors, partners, and investors.
• Streamline funding access through portals and reusable application profiles.
• Harmonise regulations to reduce compliance burdens.

Through the Mastercard Strive EU programme and expanding initiatives across the region, we’re committed to supporting Innovators who understand micro-businesses best. But this challenge requires collective action – from public and private sectors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. Together, we can build an innovation ecosystem where every idea with potential can grow, scale, and shape Europe’s future.

Continue reading here

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.

The 2026 Patent 300® list, a key benchmark of technological innovation, has ranked SLB at number 77 among the top patent holders in the U.S. SLB rose 10 spots from its 2025 position — securing 590 new U.S. patent grants over the past year.

Tell me more

The Patent 300® list is an annual compilation of the top 300 organizations leading in U.S. patenting. Published by Harrity Patent Analytics, a trusted authority on patent data analysis, the list’s rankings span a wide range of industries, reflecting a wide variety of entities across different sectors with significant contributions to innovation.

Why it matters

“Our patents reflect the ingenuity, commitment and expertise of our people,” said Demos Pafitis, Chief Technology Officer, SLB. “Each new patent represents our dedication to pushing boundaries and delivering cutting-edge technologies that create tangible value for our customers.”

A culture of innovation

Since the founding of the company a century ago, invention has driven SLB’s ability to meet the evolving needs of its customers and partners. Today, SLB has more than 70 technology centers globally where researchers and engineers collaborate on advanced energy innovations.

In 2025, SLB’s technologies were recognized in the energy sector by the Gulf Energy Information Excellence Awards, the Middle East Oil, Gas and Geosciences Show, the Hart Energy Meritorious Awards, and the Offshore Technology Conference Spotlight on New Technology Awards.

These technologies include: Well Radar™ ranging and interception services, Stream™ high-speed intelligent telemetry, OnWave™ autonomous logging platform, OpenPath Flex™ customizable acid stimulation service, Reveal™ wireline surveillance solutions, DualHelix™ multiformation performance bit, DrillSync™ automated controls platform, AutoProfiler™ automated inline fluid testing, and Electris™ completions.

The takeaway

“Behind every SLB technology is a dedicated team of inventors and intellectual property experts,” said Pafitis. “As a technology company, these are the people who invent the future, and they are showing, by the volume of patent grants, SLB’s leadership in continuously advancing the energy sector, and beyond.”

Learn more about technology and innovation at SLB here.

View original content here.

By Leigh Phipps

Three Points to Remember

1. Leidos helps utilities elevate their safety programs by identifying pain points and blind spots, introducing innovative and personalized solutions that are effective and meaningful to employees.
2. A robust safety culture connects all utility employees around a shared goal of maintaining a workplace free from incidents and injuries, emphasizing accountability, risk avoidance, and daily safety practices.
3. Leidos conducts evaluations and assessments to align safety goals with organizational culture and customizes training approaches to ensure engagement and sustainability.

When electric utilities truly value safety performance–reflected in everyday decisions on the job–they reduce injuries and protect their workforce. An effective safety approach controls costs and avoids regulatory penalties through fewer investigations, less downtime, and uninterrupted operations. According to OSHA, a strong safety program can reduce workplace injury costs by 20-40% and keeps physical assets hazard-free and operating safely.

Many utilities struggle to keep safety programs fresh and meaningful as routines replace vigilance. Leidos helps transform utility safety programs from good to great. We help utilities identify pain points and blind spots revealed in everyday work, then introduce fresh safety innovations. These solutions are deeply personal and effective because they reflect the real pressures and decisions crews face in the field.

What does safety look like?

Safety management is much more than knowing the regulations and attending training. True risk mitigation depends on people–from leadership to entry-level workers–making daily choices that affect themselves and others. In practice, safety shows up when an employee wears PPE correctly, a colleague adjusts a teammate’s harness before a climb, or a manager mitigates a hazard before it becomes an incident. Safety is a daily, personal practice adopted by every employee on every job, every day. By enhancing safety programs to make them more robust, fresh, and meaningful to employees, utilities can affect real changes in how safety is viewed and implemented by employees. This, in turn, avoids complacency and keeps employees keenly focused on safety, saving them from injury or even fatality.

A culture of safety connects the entire utility around the goal of zero incidents and injuries, with no tolerance for unsafe behavior. A safety-first mindset removes barriers to accountability and gives every employee responsibility for speaking up or stopping work when something doesn’t look right. It reduces complacency, minimizes business interruptions, and protects both people and performance.

“It is extremely rewarding to hear from our utility clients that the safety programs we have elevated and refreshed with our innovative solutions continue to see dramatic results–both in their culture as well as in a reduction in their incidents and injuries.”

Candace Bell, Leidos Safety Manager

How Leidos helps utilities develop a culture of safety

A successful safety program relies on engaging employees through training that inspires a commitment to safety and accountability. Before training begins, we perform tailored evaluations and assessments to learn how we can help utilities make better-informed safety management decisions. Using our deep industry knowledge and insights based on firsthand experience, we focus on ways to align our clients’ organizational culture and attitudes towards safety with their safety goals.

^{Our tailored programs help utilities build, sustain and refresh a strong safety culture across their entire enterprise.}

We bring fresh solutions to upgrade and improve utility’s safety programs.

“Each utility customer is unique, and their team members have a range of experience, knowledge, and outlooks concerning safety procedures,” said Candace Bell, Leidos safety manager. “We apply granular-level methodology to uncover potential vulnerabilities, using written programs and procedures, people discussions and discovery, and benchmarking.”

Our field safety observer program is one of many examples of innovative solutions that Leidos has successfully implemented with utility clients. This distinctive approach verifies the adoption of new, enhanced, and refreshed safety processes with field operations employees, where it really matters most. This program confronts and mitigates the utility’s invisible risks: fatigue and burnout, being lulled into routine procedures, high pressure environments, and hidden psychological stressors. With continual monitoring, this proven approach provides sustainable and meaningful value.

After the assessments and recommendations are complete, Leidos customizes the training approach to each utility and incorporates a variety of methods to maximize engagement of the entire team, including tabletop exercises, technology-based curriculum, and impactful videos. This process ensures that our solutions are fully inclusive for all participants.  

“The key to a successful safety program hinges on normalizing safety as a mindset and creating a robust culture of safety that utilities can maintain,” Bell said. “The foundation of Leidos’ safety programs is our end-to-end customization, backed by a commitment to program success and sustainability.”

By Leigh Phipps

Three Points to Remember

1. Leidos helps utilities elevate their safety programs by identifying pain points and blind spots, introducing innovative and personalized solutions that are effective and meaningful to employees.
2. A robust safety culture connects all utility employees around a shared goal of maintaining a workplace free from incidents and injuries, emphasizing accountability, risk avoidance, and daily safety practices.
3. Leidos conducts evaluations and assessments to align safety goals with organizational culture and customizes training approaches to ensure engagement and sustainability.

When electric utilities truly value safety performance–reflected in everyday decisions on the job–they reduce injuries and protect their workforce. An effective safety approach controls costs and avoids regulatory penalties through fewer investigations, less downtime, and uninterrupted operations. According to OSHA, a strong safety program can reduce workplace injury costs by 20-40% and keeps physical assets hazard-free and operating safely.

Many utilities struggle to keep safety programs fresh and meaningful as routines replace vigilance. Leidos helps transform utility safety programs from good to great. We help utilities identify pain points and blind spots revealed in everyday work, then introduce fresh safety innovations. These solutions are deeply personal and effective because they reflect the real pressures and decisions crews face in the field.

What does safety look like?

Safety management is much more than knowing the regulations and attending training. True risk mitigation depends on people–from leadership to entry-level workers–making daily choices that affect themselves and others. In practice, safety shows up when an employee wears PPE correctly, a colleague adjusts a teammate’s harness before a climb, or a manager mitigates a hazard before it becomes an incident. Safety is a daily, personal practice adopted by every employee on every job, every day. By enhancing safety programs to make them more robust, fresh, and meaningful to employees, utilities can affect real changes in how safety is viewed and implemented by employees. This, in turn, avoids complacency and keeps employees keenly focused on safety, saving them from injury or even fatality.

A culture of safety connects the entire utility around the goal of zero incidents and injuries, with no tolerance for unsafe behavior. A safety-first mindset removes barriers to accountability and gives every employee responsibility for speaking up or stopping work when something doesn’t look right. It reduces complacency, minimizes business interruptions, and protects both people and performance.

“It is extremely rewarding to hear from our utility clients that the safety programs we have elevated and refreshed with our innovative solutions continue to see dramatic results–both in their culture as well as in a reduction in their incidents and injuries.”

Candace Bell, Leidos Safety Manager

How Leidos helps utilities develop a culture of safety

A successful safety program relies on engaging employees through training that inspires a commitment to safety and accountability. Before training begins, we perform tailored evaluations and assessments to learn how we can help utilities make better-informed safety management decisions. Using our deep industry knowledge and insights based on firsthand experience, we focus on ways to align our clients’ organizational culture and attitudes towards safety with their safety goals.

^{Our tailored programs help utilities build, sustain and refresh a strong safety culture across their entire enterprise.}

We bring fresh solutions to upgrade and improve utility’s safety programs.

“Each utility customer is unique, and their team members have a range of experience, knowledge, and outlooks concerning safety procedures,” said Candace Bell, Leidos safety manager. “We apply granular-level methodology to uncover potential vulnerabilities, using written programs and procedures, people discussions and discovery, and benchmarking.”

Our field safety observer program is one of many examples of innovative solutions that Leidos has successfully implemented with utility clients. This distinctive approach verifies the adoption of new, enhanced, and refreshed safety processes with field operations employees, where it really matters most. This program confronts and mitigates the utility’s invisible risks: fatigue and burnout, being lulled into routine procedures, high pressure environments, and hidden psychological stressors. With continual monitoring, this proven approach provides sustainable and meaningful value.

After the assessments and recommendations are complete, Leidos customizes the training approach to each utility and incorporates a variety of methods to maximize engagement of the entire team, including tabletop exercises, technology-based curriculum, and impactful videos. This process ensures that our solutions are fully inclusive for all participants.  

“The key to a successful safety program hinges on normalizing safety as a mindset and creating a robust culture of safety that utilities can maintain,” Bell said. “The foundation of Leidos’ safety programs is our end-to-end customization, backed by a commitment to program success and sustainability.”

By Leigh Phipps

Three Points to Remember

1. Leidos helps utilities elevate their safety programs by identifying pain points and blind spots, introducing innovative and personalized solutions that are effective and meaningful to employees.
2. A robust safety culture connects all utility employees around a shared goal of maintaining a workplace free from incidents and injuries, emphasizing accountability, risk avoidance, and daily safety practices.
3. Leidos conducts evaluations and assessments to align safety goals with organizational culture and customizes training approaches to ensure engagement and sustainability.

When electric utilities truly value safety performance–reflected in everyday decisions on the job–they reduce injuries and protect their workforce. An effective safety approach controls costs and avoids regulatory penalties through fewer investigations, less downtime, and uninterrupted operations. According to OSHA, a strong safety program can reduce workplace injury costs by 20-40% and keeps physical assets hazard-free and operating safely.

Many utilities struggle to keep safety programs fresh and meaningful as routines replace vigilance. Leidos helps transform utility safety programs from good to great. We help utilities identify pain points and blind spots revealed in everyday work, then introduce fresh safety innovations. These solutions are deeply personal and effective because they reflect the real pressures and decisions crews face in the field.

What does safety look like?

Safety management is much more than knowing the regulations and attending training. True risk mitigation depends on people–from leadership to entry-level workers–making daily choices that affect themselves and others. In practice, safety shows up when an employee wears PPE correctly, a colleague adjusts a teammate’s harness before a climb, or a manager mitigates a hazard before it becomes an incident. Safety is a daily, personal practice adopted by every employee on every job, every day. By enhancing safety programs to make them more robust, fresh, and meaningful to employees, utilities can affect real changes in how safety is viewed and implemented by employees. This, in turn, avoids complacency and keeps employees keenly focused on safety, saving them from injury or even fatality.

A culture of safety connects the entire utility around the goal of zero incidents and injuries, with no tolerance for unsafe behavior. A safety-first mindset removes barriers to accountability and gives every employee responsibility for speaking up or stopping work when something doesn’t look right. It reduces complacency, minimizes business interruptions, and protects both people and performance.

“It is extremely rewarding to hear from our utility clients that the safety programs we have elevated and refreshed with our innovative solutions continue to see dramatic results–both in their culture as well as in a reduction in their incidents and injuries.”

Candace Bell, Leidos Safety Manager

How Leidos helps utilities develop a culture of safety

A successful safety program relies on engaging employees through training that inspires a commitment to safety and accountability. Before training begins, we perform tailored evaluations and assessments to learn how we can help utilities make better-informed safety management decisions. Using our deep industry knowledge and insights based on firsthand experience, we focus on ways to align our clients’ organizational culture and attitudes towards safety with their safety goals.

^{Our tailored programs help utilities build, sustain and refresh a strong safety culture across their entire enterprise.}

We bring fresh solutions to upgrade and improve utility’s safety programs.

“Each utility customer is unique, and their team members have a range of experience, knowledge, and outlooks concerning safety procedures,” said Candace Bell, Leidos safety manager. “We apply granular-level methodology to uncover potential vulnerabilities, using written programs and procedures, people discussions and discovery, and benchmarking.”

Our field safety observer program is one of many examples of innovative solutions that Leidos has successfully implemented with utility clients. This distinctive approach verifies the adoption of new, enhanced, and refreshed safety processes with field operations employees, where it really matters most. This program confronts and mitigates the utility’s invisible risks: fatigue and burnout, being lulled into routine procedures, high pressure environments, and hidden psychological stressors. With continual monitoring, this proven approach provides sustainable and meaningful value.

After the assessments and recommendations are complete, Leidos customizes the training approach to each utility and incorporates a variety of methods to maximize engagement of the entire team, including tabletop exercises, technology-based curriculum, and impactful videos. This process ensures that our solutions are fully inclusive for all participants.  

“The key to a successful safety program hinges on normalizing safety as a mindset and creating a robust culture of safety that utilities can maintain,” Bell said. “The foundation of Leidos’ safety programs is our end-to-end customization, backed by a commitment to program success and sustainability.”

By Leigh Phipps

Three Points to Remember

1. Leidos helps utilities elevate their safety programs by identifying pain points and blind spots, introducing innovative and personalized solutions that are effective and meaningful to employees.
2. A robust safety culture connects all utility employees around a shared goal of maintaining a workplace free from incidents and injuries, emphasizing accountability, risk avoidance, and daily safety practices.
3. Leidos conducts evaluations and assessments to align safety goals with organizational culture and customizes training approaches to ensure engagement and sustainability.

When electric utilities truly value safety performance–reflected in everyday decisions on the job–they reduce injuries and protect their workforce. An effective safety approach controls costs and avoids regulatory penalties through fewer investigations, less downtime, and uninterrupted operations. According to OSHA, a strong safety program can reduce workplace injury costs by 20-40% and keeps physical assets hazard-free and operating safely.

Many utilities struggle to keep safety programs fresh and meaningful as routines replace vigilance. Leidos helps transform utility safety programs from good to great. We help utilities identify pain points and blind spots revealed in everyday work, then introduce fresh safety innovations. These solutions are deeply personal and effective because they reflect the real pressures and decisions crews face in the field.

What does safety look like?

Safety management is much more than knowing the regulations and attending training. True risk mitigation depends on people–from leadership to entry-level workers–making daily choices that affect themselves and others. In practice, safety shows up when an employee wears PPE correctly, a colleague adjusts a teammate’s harness before a climb, or a manager mitigates a hazard before it becomes an incident. Safety is a daily, personal practice adopted by every employee on every job, every day. By enhancing safety programs to make them more robust, fresh, and meaningful to employees, utilities can affect real changes in how safety is viewed and implemented by employees. This, in turn, avoids complacency and keeps employees keenly focused on safety, saving them from injury or even fatality.

A culture of safety connects the entire utility around the goal of zero incidents and injuries, with no tolerance for unsafe behavior. A safety-first mindset removes barriers to accountability and gives every employee responsibility for speaking up or stopping work when something doesn’t look right. It reduces complacency, minimizes business interruptions, and protects both people and performance.

“It is extremely rewarding to hear from our utility clients that the safety programs we have elevated and refreshed with our innovative solutions continue to see dramatic results–both in their culture as well as in a reduction in their incidents and injuries.”

Candace Bell, Leidos Safety Manager

How Leidos helps utilities develop a culture of safety

A successful safety program relies on engaging employees through training that inspires a commitment to safety and accountability. Before training begins, we perform tailored evaluations and assessments to learn how we can help utilities make better-informed safety management decisions. Using our deep industry knowledge and insights based on firsthand experience, we focus on ways to align our clients’ organizational culture and attitudes towards safety with their safety goals.

^{Our tailored programs help utilities build, sustain and refresh a strong safety culture across their entire enterprise.}

We bring fresh solutions to upgrade and improve utility’s safety programs.

“Each utility customer is unique, and their team members have a range of experience, knowledge, and outlooks concerning safety procedures,” said Candace Bell, Leidos safety manager. “We apply granular-level methodology to uncover potential vulnerabilities, using written programs and procedures, people discussions and discovery, and benchmarking.”

Our field safety observer program is one of many examples of innovative solutions that Leidos has successfully implemented with utility clients. This distinctive approach verifies the adoption of new, enhanced, and refreshed safety processes with field operations employees, where it really matters most. This program confronts and mitigates the utility’s invisible risks: fatigue and burnout, being lulled into routine procedures, high pressure environments, and hidden psychological stressors. With continual monitoring, this proven approach provides sustainable and meaningful value.

After the assessments and recommendations are complete, Leidos customizes the training approach to each utility and incorporates a variety of methods to maximize engagement of the entire team, including tabletop exercises, technology-based curriculum, and impactful videos. This process ensures that our solutions are fully inclusive for all participants.  

“The key to a successful safety program hinges on normalizing safety as a mindset and creating a robust culture of safety that utilities can maintain,” Bell said. “The foundation of Leidos’ safety programs is our end-to-end customization, backed by a commitment to program success and sustainability.”