PhairywinD

Objectives of the PhairywinD project

The main object of PhairywinD is to establish a close community of 9 PhD researchers from different Belgian knowledge institutes in order to tackle the current and future challenges of the Belgian offshore wind energy sector. These nine researchers all study their own dedicated subjects ranging from legal issues to design optimisation and wind-wave prediction for vessel operations to high-spectral imaging for nondestructive testing and improved meteorology, and much more.

What sets this multi-disciplinary and intersectoral training and research project apart is its connectivity: connecting nine Belgian knowledge institutions on the topic of offshore wind on the one hand, and linking key industrial players with Belgian research partners on the other hand. This way, once the new Belgian offshore wind zones are underway, Belgian academic support, knowledge and input will be guaranteed.

Innovative training network

All researchers will be deployed in one Belgian knowledge institution. They will perform their research there, under the supervision of their promoter. However, different to a regular doctoral research, the PhairywinD researchers will be embedded in a larger, cross sectoral structure. The PhairywinD innovative training network, where both technological and non-technological disciplines will be represented, guarantees a holistic approach towards the offshore wind energy challenges. Furthermore, this training network will organise dedicated workshops, agility training and WindWeeks to immerse the researchers in the offshore wind energy world.

By the end of the project, these young researchers will have a strong network, within and beyond their domain of expertise, and will be ambassadors for offshore wind energy research within and outside there universities. They will also be able to place their own work in a larger, international framework and the general context of the sector.

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