hello world
This website was created as an experiment and a way for me to keep track of the various pieces of content I create or am featured in. Occasionally I am interviewed for a newspaper or podcast, or I sometimes create my own texts and technical documentation. The idea is to share useful content on an irregular basis.
When creating this website, my focus was to use a simple framework that allows me to publish content quickly and easily. Therefore, I use the Hugo framework to generate static web pages and host them on Google Cloud. Google Cloud allows through the services Cloud Build and Cloud Run to create and publish a container very easily, quickly, and cost-efficiently. I outline the exact workflow in my first post: Website setup and workflow.
whoami
My name is Stephan Michard, and I was born and raised near Cologne, Germany. My curiosity for how things work — from physics to computing — led me to study electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University and the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
I began my career at the Institute for Energy and Climate Research in Jülich, where I completed my Diploma and later earned my PhD in Electrical Engineering, focusing on solar cell research. After several years as a research scientist and postdoc, I decided to shift from pure research to applied technology — joining the IT industry to bring ideas to life at scale.
Today, I work as an Associate Principal Solution Architect at Red Hat, helping organizations and partners across Germany design and implement cloud and AI platforms that enable sustainable digital transformation. My focus is on bridging strategy and execution — turning business intent into scalable, open, and intelligent technology platforms.
Over the years, I’ve built experience in data center architecture, cloud-native solutions, software-defined infrastructure, and developer experience design. I enjoy working with forward-thinking teams who challenge assumptions and use technology to create real, measurable outcomes.
When I’m not working, I spend most of my time outdoors — running, cycling, or training for my next half marathon. I’m passionate about endurance sports.
I also enjoy exploring new ideas through podcasts that challenge my thinking about technology, business, and society: