New technology supports sustainable development – Arcada’s engineering programme was updated with new profiles

Arcada’s Energy and Environmental Engineering programme was updated with three new profiles in the autumn of 2021. The education profiles of electrical engineering and renewable energy, digital systems and automation as well as the smart energy system profile represent advanced competence in digitalisation and sustainability.

In Arcada’s Energy and Environmental Engineering programme students develop smart solutions designed to make the world a better place. The programme combines ecological and ethical sustainability with technology and digital opportunities.

– We need engineers that are well versed in questions of energy and the environment to lead the development toward a climate neutral society. By introducing these three new profiles we are better placed to meet the requirements that industry forecasts predict, says Kim Roos, Degree Programme Director of the energy and environmental engineering programme at Arcada.

The three new profiles of electrical engineering and renewable energy, digital systems and automation as well as the smart energy system profile, all require 75 credits. They provide the opportunity to gain a more profound and customised skill set in the chosen branch. The profile is chosen after the first year, which means that all students receive the same broad, basic competence and then choose a path depending on their interests and visions of a future career.

– The profiles provide added value to their education and improve flexibility. Meanwhile, the students continue to network and exchange knowledge, regardless of their choice of profile, says Roos.

Together with representatives from the industry, such as corporate partners and Arcada alumni, the Energy and Environmental Engineering programme has identified areas of competence that will be in demand in the future as well as areas that will require completely new skill sets.

– Close relations and cooperation with the industry is a key factor for the studies as a whole. We try to provide our students with cutting edge content by organising meetings with representatives of the industry. These include guest lecturers, national and international networking, visits to businesses and IRL customers who place project orders with us, says Roos.

Future skills

All three profiles are based on sustainability and digitalisation. In addition, the profiles include their own areas of specialisation.

– In the electrical engineering and renewable energy profile we focus on energy transfer and storage. As we reduce our fossil fuel consumption, we have to produce energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind. Having captured energy in the form of electricity, we can transfer it safely and with a comparatively high degree of efficiency, says Roos.

According to Roos, future engineers will have to gain skills in optimising various industrial processes and this is highlighted in the Digital systems and automation profile.

– The energy and environment sector digitalisation is mainly a question of optimising industrial processes. We use process identification to create models for processes or partial processes. When we have a model, we can optimise operations in order to make the solution as sustainable as possible.

The Smart energy system profile touches on the other two profiles and combines studies in renewable energy and digital systems, for instance machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Responsible and green universities of applied sciences

As an educational actor, Arcada has an important mission when it comes to sustainable social development. The Energy and Environmental Engineering programme has been based on this from the beginning.

– All the UASs have undertaken to be sustainable, responsible and carbon neutral by 2030. This is evident in every activity at Arcada. Society is certainly changing, but we take part in that change and influence it because we educate those who are future actors in the industry.

The common programme of the universities of applied sciences is guided by the 2015 UN agenda for sustainable development. Education and research are a way for the UASs to make an active contribution to sustainable development and to reduce the carbon footprint.

– Our students feel that sustainability is important and often state sustainability as the reason for choosing this degree programme. They want a job that makes a difference, says Roos.

Profiles and content

Electrical engineering and renewable energy

  • Electrical engineering, basics
  • Renewable energy
  • Electrical engineering

Digital systems and automation

  • Automation
  • Digital systems
  • Applied digital systems / automation (project course)

Smart energy systems

  • Renewable energy
  • Digital systems
  • Smart energy systems (project course)