Several times a year, we take you behind the scenes at Sensile Technologies to meet one of our team members. Today, we invite you to meet Henri Koch, Senior Embedded Software Engineer.
The joy of solving complex problems
Trained as an electrical engineer at the Faculté Polytechnique de Mons in Belgium, Henri Koch acquired a cross-disciplinary understanding of how systems work. This course of study led him to a variety of experiences: from CERN to a start-up at EPFL, right up to his arrival at Sensile Technologies in early 2024.
He now works mainly on NETRIS®3, our LoRaWAN telemetry unit used for remote tank monitoring, as well as other applications integrating pressure, level or temperature sensors for the WIKA Group. His role is to develop the embedded software and contribute to the overall integration of the solution, by ensuring, among other things, communication with the network servers and the reliability of data transmissions to the cloud portal.
His day-to-day work alternates between long-term missions, such as reinforcing embedded security – an area in which he specialises and where the stakes are constantly rising – and one-off actions, which require a high level of responsiveness. With compact, energy-efficient IIoT devices, there are many technical challenges to overcome. Added to this are the particularities of installation sites: extreme climatic conditions, complex topography and connectivity constraints. These are all obstacles that Henri enjoys overcoming, putting his skills and creativity to good use.
From technology… to business
He particularly appreciates not being confined to a purely technical role. And at Sensile Technologies, he doesn’t just write code. The company’s human scale and culture give him the opportunity to participate in the design of the solutions as a whole, in direct contact with the realities on the ground and the concrete challenges of deployment. He values this proximity because it enables him to measure the tangible impact of his work.
Henri recently had to deal with a critical situation: following a change of infrastructure at an operator’s location, roaming connectivity was suddenly interrupted. Although this could have taken several weeks to resolve, he came up with a solution: using the tools he had developed in advance, he remotely reconfigured all the devices so that they could immediately connect to the operator’s new platform. The result: communication was 100% restored in just a few days.
The ability to act on several levels, from analysing the problem to implementing the solution, fits in perfectly with his way of working: with pragmatism, curiosity and a desire to find answers to the unexpected.
An eye behind the lens
Outside the office, Henri enjoys sport and photography. Recently, he’s been lending his eye to his colleagues, taking the portraits that accompany this “Behind the scenes” series. It’s another way for him to get involved in the life of the team.
Visit Henri Koch’s LinkedIn profile to find out more about his career.