Future energy solutions and collaboration at the center of EnergyWeek
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences played a central role as one of the organisers in this week’s EnergyWeek. The event provided interesting opportunities for networking and collaboration with industry stakeholders, as well as for the development of energy sector projects.
EnergyWeek is the most significant international energy event in the Nordic countries, attracting thousands of energy enthusiasts from both Finland and abroad. As a partner of EnergyWeek, VAMK was once again involved in organising the most important energy event of the year in Vaasa. This year, key themes included renewable energy sources, smart energy, gas energy, and energy storage.
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences participated in several events during EnergyWeek. On Tuesday, VAMK organised a seminar discussing highly relevant zero-emission data centers. Within the framework of the WSTAR project led by the University of Vaasa, a zero-emission data center laboratory, WSTAR, is being planned and built at the Technobothnia teaching and research laboratory. This infrastructure will be used to investigate how low-emission and energy-flexible data centers can be constructed, integrated, and utilised as we move towards zero emissions.
“EnergyWeek is one of the highlights of the year for VAMK, and this year we participated in a more diverse range of events than ever before. EnergyWeek provides us with a platform to showcase VAMK’s energy-related education programs and research and development work at the heart of the energy cluster, and most importantly, to network with the business community”, says Marja-Riitta Vest, Director of Research, Development, and Innovation at VAMK.
Future experts as the engines of development
This year as well, VAMK participated on Thursday in Energy Academy’s Back to the Future panel, where future experts roasted professionals with tough questions regarding building a sustainable future. Representing Vaasa University of Applied Sciences on the panel was Marja-Riitta Vest, Director of Research, Development, and Innovation, who answered students’ questions alongside experts from various universities in Vaasa and from local energy companies.
Roasting the experts were a group of students from Vaasa’s universities, one of whom was Khin Phyu Cyn Kyi, an international business student at VAMK.
“I attended this event from the audience last year and now as a roastmaster this year. Both of the times have been insightful and entertaining at the same time. I think this is a good example of how the future generation is being welcomed by the older generations and more encouraged to collaboration between companies, institutions and students”, Khin Phyu Cyn Kyi says.
Systemic Change in the Energy Sector in Nigeria
On Thursday evening, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with the Embassy of Nigeria in Sweden, organised a roundtable session on the energy market in Nigeria. The event featured interesting presentations on energy trends in Nigeria and Finland, milestones in Nigeria’s energy transition, and various energy sector opportunities in Nigeria.
This Energy Week side event brought together experts, policymakers, researchers, energy companies, and sustainable energy enthusiasts from Nigeria and Finland to explore how Africa’s largest population can expand climate-friendly solutions for their energy needs and serve as a model for sustainable energy transition.
“The event leveraged wide-ranging discussions on mega-trends in the energy sector to promote potential short-, medium-, and long-term partnerships between Nigerian companies, companies in the Vaasa region, and Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. Emerging concrete solutions, ideas, and research themes can be further advanced in joint projects and research collaborations in the fields of expert services and education. From VAMK’s perspective, the roundtable also provided opportunities to develop energy-related projects with Finnish companies and Business Finland”, says Adebayo Agbejule, Principal Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences.
Thank you to everyone for a great week and see you again next year!
