Engineers are needed but are not enough alone. Companies working in the energy cluster need many different types of expertise, including international talent.
A lot of international talent and students in Vaasa have come here because they are interested in the energy cluster, says Pia Jünger at Novia University of Applied Sciences, who works with the Vaasa International Talents project.
The project and the university, as well as many other actors, are involved in the arrangements for EnergyWeek. For example, the project itself is one of the organisers of Thursday’s EnergyAcademy event: Back to the Future REVISITED!
‘Roast’ coming up
As part of the programme on Thursday, there will be a so-called Roast. In this case, it means a panel where students have the opportunity to roast the Energy Academy professionals with the trickiest questions.
“The questions that the students themselves create, also tell us a lot about what the talents of the future are interested in”, says Danfoss Drives’ Anna Hakkari, who also represents the organisers.
More than engineers are needed
Energy Academy is a cooperation model between universities and leading companies in the Vaasa region.
The Energy Academy network’s mentoring programme has this year offered mentors from many different business areas. Anna Hakkari says that this reflects the fact that energy companies also need non-engineering expertise.
“The mentors have provided knowledge about software development, sustainability, R&D, sales, marketing, HR and project management among other areas”, explains Anna Hakkari.
Huge collaboration
Energy Academy as a model is designed to increase the appeal of the area to students and graduates as well as to create better connections between working life, RDI and young talents.
All six universities in Vaasa are involved: University of Vaasa, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Hanken School of Economics, University of Helsinki and Åbo Akademi University.
Companies and hubs involved are ABB Oy, Danfoss, Etha Wind, EnergyVaasa, Hitachi Energy, Merinova, City of Vaasa, Vaasan Sähkö, VASEK and Wärtsilä Finland.
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