DigiWind Project Kicks-off in Copenhagen

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) proudly announces its involvement in the groundbreaking DigiWind Project, a major initiative funded by the Digital Europe Programme (DEP). The project aims to revolutionise renewable energy education by introducing Specialised Education Programmes (SEP) for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professionals.

The DigiWind Project, spearheaded by DTU Wind and Energy Systems, is a testament to the European Union’s commitment to the digital and green transition. This innovative project is set to offer a range of learning options, from micro-credentialed Lifelong Learning Modules and self-paced online Masters to comprehensive Masters of Science degrees. These programs are meticulously designed to equip learners with a blend of advanced digital skills and specialised knowledge in wind and energy systems.

Pictured left to right: Charlie Behan, Darragh McShane, Tuhfe Göçmen, Sam Del Greco and Diana Vaz

IMR’s delegation, including Darragh McShane, Sam Del Greco, Charlie Behan and Diana Vaz, travelled to Copenhagen to attend the project’s Kick-off Meeting on January 25th and 26th, while colleagues Tamara Wierks and Garry Doran joined online. This inaugural event, hosted at DTU Wind and Energy Systems campus in Roskilde, marked a significant milestone in DigiWind’s journey.

The Kick-off Meeting was a convergence of ideas and expertise, featuring prominent speakers like Carsten Orth Gaarn-Larsen of DTU, Mr. Antoni Fałkowski, the Polish Ambassador to Denmark, and Morten Willaing Jeppesen from DTU. These discussions emphasised the project’s academic significance and its role in fostering international collaboration. Representatives from various DigiWind Consortium partners, including IMR’s Darragh McShane and Sam DelGreco, delivered insightful speeches and presentations, introducing each member and highlighting their main tasks and deliverables within each work package.

The DigiWind Project is ambitious, aiming to educate and certify over 900 master’s students and 10,000 industry professionals within four years. Central to this objective is the DigiWind virtual campus, an innovative platform that facilitates access to diverse course modules offered by participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Centres of Excellence (CoE), and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

IMR, as a key partner in the DigiWind Consortium, is excited to contribute to this transformative project. Our involvement underlines our commitment to promoting sustainable practices and advancing digital capabilities in the renewable energy sector. The DigiWind Project not only aligns with our organisational goals but also resonates with our mission to support the continuous learning and development of professionals in the STEM fields.

“The DigiWind project represents a visionary step forward in moving from exclusively physical learning environments with traditional PPT-based lectures to more dynamic extended reality and education metaverses that facilitate hybrid environments for curiosity-based learning in the wind energy space. Irish Manufacturing Research are proud to be a contributing partner to this innovative collaborative venture and look forward to assisting our European partners to achieve a successful outcome by facilitating and developing interoperable digital learning solutions delivered through a virtual campus.” Darragh McShane, IMR Project Manager.

As DigiWind embarks on this remarkable journey, we invite everyone to stay updated on the project’s progress and milestones.

For more information, visit the DigiWind website and follow the project on LinkedIn and YouTube.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme under the Grant Agreement 101122836. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. © 2024 DigiWind