How does it feel?
“It feels good. Or as I usually say: I’ll try to do better next time,” Martin smiles.
You have stayed in the public service for 30 years. How did that happen?
“I have really enjoyed my jobs, so I have never felt like I had to change employer. I have my family in Uppsala and once the children came along well, moving never felt very appealing. I have and have had really nice colleagues.
“The work is inspiring and I got to work with cutting-edge technology. I have always felt like I am making a difference and got to help researchers in their work. My job has also enabled me to spend a lot of time and energy on my great passion outside work, the martial art iaido.”
What is iaido?
“Iaido is a Japanese martial art with swords. I train as part of a traditional school of iaido, which was founded in the late 1500s and I have been the principal teacher at the Uppsala Iaido club since 1993. I regularly go to Japan and train with my Japanese teacher and he visits Europe regularly.”
Have you had many different jobs over the years, or have you mainly stayed in the same one?
“I have been fairly stationary, I have only worked at Uppsala University. I started as a doctoral student and very quickly was given the task of looking after the computers in the department. Then I stayed on as a system administrator. Some years after the creation of Uppmax I started working there part-time and as Uppmax grew my job there grew too. For a number of years now I’ve been working only at Uppmax.”