During the two days of the first edition of EduPower2024, a trade fair held on 8-9/10/2024 at the Netto Arena in Szczecin, the stand of the Polish Wind Energy Association and the Wind Industry Hub Foundation was visited by hundreds of young people. The youngest participants were elementary school students, through technical students to university students and employees. More than 40 exhibitors from the region were present in the exhibition area, providing attractive animation zones for visitors.
The Wind Industry Hub Foundation (WIH) was represented by Vice President and Managing Director Dominika Taranko, who moderated the opening panel discussion on “Local content.”
Participating in the discussion were:
- Michal Przepiera, Deputy Mayor of the City of Szczecin,
- Piotr Wilczewski, Councilman of the City of Gorzow Wielkopolski,
- Danuta Zawadzka, Rector of the Koszalin University of Technology,
- Rafał Zahorski, plenipotentiary for port development at the Szczecin and Swinoujscie Seaports Authority,
- Daniel Kisala, CEO, Slipform.
The panelists agreed that the most effective in inspiring regional development is a mix of competencies from different markets, including the domestic one, and that Szczecin’s border location creates unique opportunities for the intermingling of Polish, Scandinavian and Western European businesses. The discussion also pointed out that the lack of a strategy for action in the area of “local content” development and state policies may reduce the competitiveness and clout of Polish businesses. Young people, on the other hand, will certainly find work in the renewable energy sector, the most important thing is that they do what they like to do, and their talents will certainly be properly managed by business.
