In 1973 the first ever Offshore Europe took place in the grounds of the University of Aberdeen – 50 years on, and we continue to showcase our research and teaching in a fast-changing energy landscape.
Our academics are leading the way in innovating for the future, and we are planning a programme of activity at our stand (2E68) that will demonstrate our ongoing commitment to delivering solutions that supports industry and policy makers in the transition to clean, sustainable energy and renewables.
This year’s focus on ‘accelerating the transition to a better energy future’ aligns perfectly to our current research and training programmes, and through our Centre for Energy Transition we are dedicated to innovation that ensures countries and communities have secure access to the energy they need, at a cost they can afford, whilst not destroying the planet and its climate in the process.
These three key requirements of Energy Security, Affordability and Sustainability – otherwise known as ‘the energy trilemma’ – are vital in ensuring a transition that works for all and at Offshore Europe we will be demonstrating our work in key areas critical to achieving this aim including offshore wind, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), hydrogen, and data and artificial intelligence.
Our expertise is hugely varied and spans the generation and storage of energy, reuse of materials and the challenges of decommissioning, as well as the opportunities presented by technology and digitalisation. We also address the energy transition within the oil and gas industry and inform the policy, societal and environmental impact and sustainability of our future energy requirements.
Our world-leading research is delivering solutions, but it is also helping to reskill and upskill people with the knowledge and expertise they need to lead the way in the energy transition.
Universities play a vital role in providing the intellectual capacity and skills that has propelled the UK energy industry since North Sea oil and gas came on the scene, and the University has produced many outstanding graduates that have made a major contribution to this success.
This is testament to the quality and relevance of a curriculum driven by the needs of industry, leading to current research and teaching initiatives such as the UK’s GeoNetZero Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), an academic-industry partnership that has seen over 170 PhD students enrolled for projects in 18 UK universities. 108 students have graduated from the CDT to date, all of whom have been employed – an enviable record that attests to the quality of the students recruited, the relevance of their projects and the vital skills and expertise they have gained.
The University is also a partner in the National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA), a collaborative initiative with RGU and North East Scotland College that is supported by key partners Skills Development Scotland and Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) Ltd.
NESA works with and is informed by businesses and training organisations to help create a more flexible and resilient workforce for the UK’s energy sector, delivering the skills development programmes required to ensure businesses have ready access to a competent workforce to accelerate the long-term drive towards meeting net zero targets.
Our NESA-funded on-demand learning courses to help people upskill for the energy transition are just one example of the benefits of our partnerships with local agencies and major companies – including those who back a range of industry-supported scholarships for our 28 Masters programmes related to the energy transition.
Meanwhile a range of core projects including Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) focus on developing the specific skills needed in the deployment of floating offshore wind, CCUS, hydrogen, and geothermal technologies, delivering national programmes helping UK industry and people to be at the forefront of our green energy future.
Taken together, these initiatives underline the importance of the role played by the University and our Centre for Energy Transition in building the skills and intellectual capacity to translate, transform and accelerate low-carbon energy solutions that will take the UK energy industry forward in the next 50 years.
We’d be delighted to welcome you to our stand 2E68 at Offshore Europe to find out more about how we’re helping accelerate the transition to a better energy future.
