Transelectrica and UPB sign strategic partnership on research and innovation

Transelectrica and the Polytechnic University in Bucharest (UPB) signed today a strategic partnership in the field of research and innovation. The two entities consolidate the collaboration agreement regarding the technological future of the Romanian energy sector.

Pursuing the materialization of a vision over 5 years, the partnership aims to increase the quality of education and training, to facilitate the transition of students and graduates to the labour market, but also to implement research, development, or innovation projects, to ensure technological transfer, but and greater social impact.

“The energy transition and the rapid development of new technologies in the field represent the major challenges of our days. Even more so for us, the transport and system operator, who place ourselves at the center of all essential processes. Therefore, we are convinced that in order to successfully face these challenges it is essential to understand the need for an integrated approach regarding the high technical complexity of our operations, in the key of the responsibility to ensure energy security, and the highly qualified human resource, capable to excel and innovate. Considering this, from our perspective, in order to achieve this desired, a strong involvement of us in the academic educational process of the profile is also necessary. The strategic partnership that Transelectrica already has with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest has today reached another level, the one in which we are ready to pool our resources in order to mitigate the gap between professional skills and demand on the labour market in the energy sector. The protocol we are signing today comes to consolidate and bring to a higher level the fruits of a common experience of years in training and supporting energy students, in supporting the learning environment to keep up with the developments of the real economic environment. I am glad that we have reached this stage and I am confident that by putting our shoulders together to train future engineers, the national power system will only benefit”, said Gabriel Andronache, president of the Directorate of Transelectrica.

“Artificial intelligence, virtual or augmented reality, digitization or robotization are just some of the technologies that will become prevalent in Industry 4.0. The agreement we are signing with Transelectrica aims to familiarize the engineers of the future with the technologies that will be used in the coming years. By providing students with a training environment in which they come into direct contact with cutting-edge technologies, we believe we are giving them a competitive edge on the job market. The increased demand for energy sector specialists as economies decarbonise is a sign that through this partnership we are investing in the future. We thank the partners from the Transelectrica National Energy Transport Company for the fact that they are involved in training the engineers of the future,” said Mihnea Costoiu, rector of the Polytechnic University in Bucharest.