Creative expert at the intersection of technology, fashion and art
Next up in our series of conversations with experts shaping a better tomorrow is Janina Udiljak, a creative force at Sigma Embedded Engineering in Gothenburg, where she moves seamlessly between the worlds of technology, fashion, beauty, and stage expression.
Janina is 28 years old and lives in Gothenburg. She describes her life as a kind of double life: “engineer by day, fashioneer by night”. During the day, she works as a mechatronics engineer, where structure, function, and precision are central. When the working day ends, another dimension takes over, where she explores form, aesthetics, and expression by designing and building costumes, masks, and prototypes. This can involve bags with built-in LEDs, smoke effects, or conceptual objects for shows and stage productions.
She is trained as a mechatronics engineer, sometimes referred to as a robotics engineer, where mechanics, electronics, and programming are combined. During her studies at Chalmers, she was active in the welcoming committee NollK. It was there that she met Martin, one of her mentors, who introduced her to Sigma. After graduating, she began working on a short project at Volvo and spent a few months on this assignment before moving on to work with Clue by Sigma. Today, she develops prototypes and transforms ideas from early sketches to fully functioning solutions. As a mechatronics engineer, she has broad expertise, enabling her to combine multiple technical fields to create innovative products and solutions.
Janina’s expertise lies primarily in CAD and design engineering, where she has a strong ability to see the bigger picture and integrate different technical disciplines. Her work is carried out in close collaboration with clients, where she helps define the path forward, from proof of concept (POC) and minimum viable product (MVP) to a finished prototype.
What drives Janina is creative problem-solving. She thrives in situations where there is no obvious answer, where new ideas need to be tested and explored. For her, the role of an engineer is not just about finding the right solution, but about daring to explore multiple possible paths to get there.
With one foot in the world of technology and the other in artistic expression, Janina continues to explore the boundary between form and function, a place where ideas take physical shape and where curiosity is the driving force forward.
