Iberdrola launches smart grids academy

Iberdrola has launched the Smart Grids Academy at its Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub at its headquarters in Bilbao.

The new academy, a private-public partnership between Iberdrola España, the local Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the GAIA Cluster, is aimed to train professionals with the new digital skills required in today’s energy sector as digitalisation grows to enable the energy transition.

Through both face to face and online training its objectives include contributing to the development and recruitment of digital talent trained in the development and management of smart grids.

It also is intended to strengthen the competitiveness of the ecosystem of companies, universities and research centres in the Basque Country and to consolidate Bizkaia in particular and the Basque Country in general as a world benchmark in smart grids.

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The missing piece of the grid puzzle

“Without smart grids there’s no energy transition, and without trained professionals, there won’t be any smart grids,” was the catchphrase at the launch.

The skills needed for the energy transition, both digital and others, have become of increasing discussion as it has accelerated.

The design of the syllabuses and training programmes in smart grids is in its final stages, with the aim to start the pilot phase of training activity in the first quarter of 2025 for companies in the sector, both manufacturers and service providers, as well as professionals who want to up skill in smart grids.

The training itineraries are planned to combine classroom, online and practical methodology in the laboratories of Basque companies and technology centres, where students will be able to do internships and exercises.

They also should incorporate gamification and virtualised internships as a differentiating element, adapted to the content required for each profile, along with an algorithmic model to guide and support professionals along their career plans, professional development and training trajectory.

As such the programmes will vary according to the skills and knowledge profiles of the candidates and in duration and depth as they cater to different experience levels and roles.

Academic aspects included will cover the architecture of smart grids, advanced metering and monitoring, grid communications, grid cybersecurity, AI, data management and analysis and regulations and standards.