Josh Adams
2026 Saltire Scholar
Data Engineering Intern, iGii
Computing Science, University of Glasgow
Hi, my name is Josh Adams. I am going into my fifth and final year of studying computing science at the University of Glasgow. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to spend 12 weeks as a data engineer at iGii.
When I first applied I knew I would be stepping outside of my comfort zone. Through studying computing, I already knew I had an interest in data and cutting edge technology but iGii specialise in nanomaterials, something I knew nothing about. On top of this I would have to commute from Glasgow to Stirling every day. This wasn’t too bad, with the train journey taking just under an hour, but I was in a new city that I barely knew.
I spent my first few weeks trying to learn as much as I could about the company. I was offered tours of the various labs around the building and tried to understand the material as best as my very unscientific mind could manage. I was able to get a glimpse into a whole new world of work with machines, chemicals and apparatus that were so foreign to the work I was carrying out, but I found it equally as compelling.
The first thing I realised was how enthusiastic the scientists who worked here were. They were developing something that they were really passionate about and throughout the tours and talks it was evident that they really believed that their work would impact the future, which was nice to see. I found this incredibly reassuring when starting at iGii and began to look forward to the work I could contribute and the impact I might make at the company, no matter how small.
Over my time at iGii I assisted in many data-driven tasks, many of which involved software that I had never used before. I became familiar with Power BI, helping to analyse dataflows, design dashboards and build a new development workspace to lay the foundation of a new CI/CD workflow. I started to experiment with writing PowerShell scripts and Power Automate to build automated pipelines that move data locally and upload to our data service simultaneously.
There is one project that persisted throughout my entire time at iGii and it is the one I am most proud of. My line manager realised that I had a background in programming and decided to utilise this to make an all-inclusive "Data Browser" that combines multiple different data sources and allows scientists to browse, preview and download experiment data and metadata all in one platform. This project proved a challenge — getting used to data sources I wasn't familiar with — but through perseverance and more debugging time than I'd like to admit, I now have a fully functioning web app that is in use throughout the company and will hopefully be used well after I leave.
This is something I had never experienced before working here. I have completed multiple projects during my time at university, but most of the time I inherited partially completed projects and was told to implement certain parts as part of the exercise. However, this was different. This project was entirely my own. I am able to confidently say that what I built tackles a problem others were facing head-on, is a huge quality of life upgrade to everyday work and, above all, will actually be used by other people — which is a first for me.
Looking back at the summer, I leave iGii a lot more confident in my own abilities than I was before. Working alongside people from different backgrounds taught me that you do not need to know everything from day one. By being curious, asking questions and being willing to learn, I was able to contribute to projects that made a genuine impact across the company. For that, I am incredibly grateful to both iGii and the Saltire Scholars programme for giving me that opportunity.
If you're thinking about applying to Saltire this year, my advice is simple: go for it. Stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to new experiences, skills and confidence that are difficult to gain elsewhere. Click the apply button, and you never know where it might take you or what you might be capable of achieving.
