Why does DTU Wind and Energy Systems need a new strategy?
The green transition is really starting gather pace in society, so we need to make sure we can support this development in the best possible way. We want to consolidate our position as the global go-to knowledge partner that researchers, public authorities, and industry go to when they are looking for the best expertise in the field.
Organizationally, DTU Wind and Energy Systems was created in 2022 through the merger of two research units, DTU Wind and the Center for Electric Power and Energy. This has given us great opportunities to work both across and in depth with all aspects of the energy transition so it’s necessary that we have a common understanding of where we’re heading.
What key points of the strategy do you wish to highlight?
We’ve identified four major challenges facing society, that we want to help address: We need to help to further develop the European wind industry; we need to design the robust energy system of the future, powered by renewable energy; we need to support an urgently needed and sustainable energy transition; and finally, we need to train those technology leaders and specialists who are so vital for the green transition to take place.
What specifically will the new strategy mean for DTU Wind and Energy Systems employees?
The strategy is also about creating a common culture and stimulating collaboration between the department’s research groups. By putting what binds us together into words, it will hopefully become clearer that we have a common purpose and several big challenges that we must overcome together. We’re a rapidly growing department, and we must attract the very best researchers and students from all over the world. So, we should be clear about the contribution we’re making to the global energy transition.
Specifically, our employees will experience that we will engage ourselves in more interdisciplinary collaboration, and that we will be sharpening our priorities—with the strategy as our guide and beacon.
What impact will the strategy have on your future priorities?
We’ll be focusing even more on impact—where can our research efforts make the greatest difference when it comes to solving the above-mentioned four societal challenges? The goal for us—as it is for the rest of DTU— is to benefit society.
We need to strike the right balance between focusing on solutions that are directly applicable in industry in the short term, and on the important role that research plays in terms of breakthroughs and creating completely new knowledge.
Why exactly is it important to focus on impact?
The energy transition is so complex that we risk losing our focus. And if we just keep widening the scope of our activities, there’s a risk that the results of our efforts become more random, making our impact on the green transition less significant.
The strategy is about making it more explicit which problems we want to help solve, among other things by identifying the four societal challenges we are choosing to focus on.
By focusing so much on impact, don’t we risk compromising basic research?
Impact means several things to me. For example, we run the test centres for large wind turbines in Østerild and Høvsøre in north-west Jutland in very close collaboration with the industry. DTU plays a huge role in testing prototype turbines, before they reach the market.
However, we also have researchers working on the development of AI and quantum computers for controlling tomorrow’s energy systems, and even though we’re still building up a basic understanding of this, it can be hugely significant for the energy system of the future. So, impact should not be interpreted as a short-term financial footprint.
For me, impact can also be continuing education. A lot of engineers are needed to implement the green transition, so our research-based education also represents a significant contribution to society and its development. We’re building strong competences among future technology leaders and experts—both new graduates, but also engineers in need of continuing and further education.
How will your industry partners notice the new strategy?
I hope the strategy will make it even clearer to the outside world what we can do, and that it facilitates more strategic cooperation on the development of the energy industry, and how we can support it.
One element of the strategy is about creating large, trendsetting projects in which DTU takes the lead and shows the way. This could be through major research activities on energy islands, offshore wind and Power-to-X plants, or new strategic partnerships with leading energy companies.
Where are you in five years if the strategy proves successful?
Then DTU Wind and Energy Systems will be the go-to university partner for those wanting to access the best knowledge about wind and energy systems, regardless of whether you’re a student, researcher, research institute, public authority, or industrial company. And we can demonstrate that the department has played a significant role in overcoming the four challenges facing society.
