Over 30 students from six countries gathered at the University of Stavanger to develop solutions that could make the wind power industry even smarter and more environmentally friendly.
External collaboration partner Energy Innovation brought a real-world challenge to the university:
- How can the industry reduce the environmental impact of offshore wind power?
- How can technology be used to attract workers, provide the right competence, and improve safety in the industry?
The challenge was presented to students from the European university alliance ECIU University, of which UiS is a member.
Collaboration with Students
Frank Emil Moen, CEO of Energy Innovation, participated in the work alongside the students. The engaged business leader has been involved in developing the new one-year study program in wind power and values contact with students highly.
"I have a great collaboration with the university and think ECIU University is an excellent initiative. International and interdisciplinary collaboration is extremely important, especially in Europe. It has a value far beyond the project itself," says Moen.
Many Solutions
The 32 students came from Germany, Poland, France, Lithuania, Italy, and Finland. A wide range of study disciplines was represented, including political science, industrial design, environmental engineering, IT, economics, and chemistry. Divided into six working groups, they each developed their own solutions for the industry.
The proposed solutions included use of technology and "airbag" vests for evaluating and training wind power workers on safety, an efficient system for recycling rotor blades, and initiatives to create greater acceptance for offshore wind power and increase interest in working in the sector.
An informal prize was awarded to the team suggesting a new type of reporting system for safety and environmental concerns in offshore wind companies. "This is a specific solution which would be interesting to test as a pilot," said the UiS expert jury.
Interdisciplinary Approach
ECIU University offers micro-courses and student challenges from 12 universities, with opportunities for both digital teaching and in-person gatherings through short exchange programmes. All offerings provide academic credits, which are recognized by the institution delivering the learning activity.
Through challenge-based learning (CBL), students learn problem-solving techniques, project work, collaboration, and communication across disciplines and nationalities.
Want to get involved in ECIU University as a student or external partner? Find more information at www.uis.no/eciu or send an email to eciu@uis.no.
Offshore wind challenge
The 32 students who came to UiS for the Green Transition in Offshore Wind challenge in June 2025 were from the Technical University of Lodz (Poland), the Technical University of Hamburg (Germany), the Technical University of Kaunas (Lithuania), INSA Toulouse (France), the University of Trento (Italy), and the University of Tampere (Finland).
The academic leads for the offshore wind challenge were Professor Yihan Xing, Senior Engineer Jon Erik Karlsen, and Senior Engineer Andreas Skaare from the Department of Mechanical, Civil, and Materials Engineering at the Faculty of Science and Technology. The CBL teaching was conducted by Masoumeh Shahverdi from Uniped.
Text and photos: Leiv Gunnar Lie