Evren Berkun

– Engineering safety with curiosity and craft

Building systems that must work.

‍Evren Berkun describes herself first and foremost as a control systems engineer, specialized in Functional Safety. In simple terms, she helps teams build technology that works safely and reliably — especially when systems are complex and the risks matter.

“At the end of the day, safety engineering is about responsibility,” she says. “It’s about understanding how things can fail — and designing so that they don’t.”

At Qamcom’s Gothenburg office, Evren is part of the Standards & Methods domain. Having joined only recently, she is already contributing to internal initiatives that strengthen how projects are developed and delivered – clearer structures, better tools, and stronger practices in safety, security and compliance-aware environments.

Name: Evren Berkun
‍Age: 47
‍Role: Senior Functional Safety Engineer
‍Education: MBA, Automotive MSc, BSc in Control Engineering
‍Family: Partner, One daughter (17)
‍Lives in: Gothenburg
‍Interests: Decorative patterns, tile painting, Digital Art
‍Time at Qamcom: 1 month

A culture of competence.

Evren came to Qamcom after a recommendation from a friend who believed the company would suit both her background and her way of working. When she later saw an open Functional Safety position, she applied.

What attracted her most was not only the exciting Qamcom projects – but also the people.

“I value environments where competence is strong, communication is respectful, and collaboration feels natural,” she explains. “When autonomy and responsibility go together, meaningful work happens”

She describes Qamcom as a place that genuinely values engineering excellence – practical, curious and solution-oriented people working across systems, software and hardware. A flat organization, she notes, creates space for ownership and faster learning.

Twenty years of automotive experience.

Before moving to Sweden, Evren spent around twenty years in a Ford joint venture in Turkey, contributing to global automotive product development in various engineering and delivery roles.

More recently, she worked in projects for Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars, focusing on safety-critical systems in an industry where engineering excellence and reliability are non-negotiable.

Her career has consistently revolved around complex systems – and the discipline required to make them safe.

From broken radios to engineering.

Evren’s interest in technology started early, though not in a straight line.

As a child, she watched her father, an engineer, constantly fixing and building things at home. He would give her broken electronics he considered beyond repair. For her, they were treasure.

“I took everything apart,” she says with a smile. “Old radios, phones. I built my own little toy machines from the pieces. Like Lego – but more inventive and far less predictable.”

In her early teenage years, her interests were typical: music, sports, pop culture. But a group of curious classmates changed her direction. They read science magazines, discussed technology and asked questions she found fascinating. Slowly, she realized she was drawn to understanding how things work.

Technology and responsibility.

Looking ahead, Evren believes the coming decade will bring more autonomy, more connectivity and more AI embedded in real products – across transportation, industry and healthcare.

“But the bigger question won’t only be what we can build,” she reflects. “It will be how we build it responsibly.”

As systems grow more complex, safety, cybersecurity and trust will become even more central. For Evren, that is not a constraint – it is a necessary evolution.

Creativity beyond engineering.

Outside work, Evren is learning Swedish and exploring Sweden’s nature and history. She also devotes time to creative craftsmanship – drawing ancient and ethnic decorative patterns digitally, painting tiles and making jewelry.

There is a quiet connection between engineering and art in her life: precision, patience and an appreciation for structure.

On role models and representation.

Evren does not point to a single role model. Instead, she is inspired by qualities – curiosity, integrity, kindness, dedication. Everyday examples of good character matter more to her than fame.

Encouragement at an early age, visible role models, mentoring and fair recognition make a difference. Schools can make STEM more hands-on and creative. Companies have a responsibility to build inclusive cultures where people do not have to prove they belong every day.

Visibility matters, she says. Initiatives like Women of Qamcom matter.

When it comes to the lack of women in technology, she is clear:

“Talent is not the problem. Opportunity and culture often are.”

Advice to future engineers.

Her advice to girls and women curious about technology is simple:

Follow your curiosity. Build small things. Don’t wait until you feel ready.

Find a community, mentors, friends and peers. And choose the area that genuinely excites you. There is space in technology for many styles of thinking.

“It’s challenging,” she says. “But it’s also empowering. Technology is not just a job. It’s a way of understanding the world – and shaping it responsibly.”

A complex favorite.

Asked about her favorite fictional character, Evren mentions Mrs. Coulter from His Dark Materials – a morally complex figure shaped by ambition, vulnerability and circumstance.

Perhaps it is fitting. Complexity, after all, is something Evren understands well – whether in people or in systems.

And making complexity safe, structured and meaningful is precisely what she does.