Generating clean electricity far out at sea is only half the battle. The real test is getting gigawatts of power back to shore reliably, safely, and without massive energy loss. As Europe builds ever-larger offshore wind farms, the high-voltage electrical hardware running beneath the waves has become the sector’s most critical frontier.
Bridging these technical frontiers through international mobility is central to DigiWind. We are proud to feature another one of our DigiWind Open Call #1 recipients, Tim Imenkämper, a Master’s student in Sustainable Energy Technologies at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), who is currently completing a funded research and study stay at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.
Taming Gigawatts: High-Voltage Systems and Power Electronics
Hailing from Germany with a background in Energy Engineering, Tim arrived at NTNU with a sharp focus. Having already written his Bachelor’s thesis on 2 GW converter platforms for offshore wind farms, he wanted to master the intricate physics that connect vast wind installations to national grids.
Selected through DigiWind Open Call #1, Tim tapped into NTNU’s world-class Department of Electric Power Engineering to investigate the hardware that keeps clean energy flowing.
“Being selected as an NTNU Open Call 1 winner gave me the chance to deepen my expertise at one of Europe’s leading universities in energy research,” Tim notes. “I came to NTNU with a clear interest in the technology that connects offshore wind to the grid, and the courses from the Electric Power Engineering Master’s programme helped me build up my knowledge in exactly this area. The funding from the Open Call made my stay possible and allowed me to focus fully on my studies.”
His curriculum in Trondheim cuts straight to the core of grid integration:
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High-Voltage Technology & Insulation Materials: Exploring insulation behaviour and component stress under extreme real-world operating conditions to ensure high-voltage offshore equipment remains resilient.
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Advanced Power Electronics: Diving into converter design and control mechanisms that sit at the very heart of multi-gigawatt offshore grid connections.
Balancing Engineering Rigour with Design Thinking
Technical capability needs practical implementation. Alongside heavy electrical engineering, Tim took on NTNU’s Innovation by Design Thinking course to look at renewable deployment from a fresh perspective.
“It adds a different dimension: I am learning to approach technical challenges in a user-centred, interdisciplinary way and to turn engineering knowledge into practical solutions.”
Outside the lab and lecture halls, studying in Trondheim has paired international collaboration with Norway’s iconic landscapes.
“NTNU gives me access to an international student environment and a strong network of researchers and industry partners. Trondheim offers a great student life, which makes it easy to connect with students from different countries and backgrounds… Studying in Norway also offers great opportunities to discover the country’s nature, and I have really enjoyed hiking in my free time.”
A Straightforward Path to European Research
Reflecting on his journey, Tim appreciated the structured application process that launched his exchange, which clearly outlined the technical portfolio and documents needed to apply. His experience shows how targeted student mobility can empower young researchers to connect the dots between top European energy institutions like DTU and NTNU.
“I am very grateful to DigiWind and NTNU for this opportunity and excited to keep building my path toward contributing to the energy transition.”
Power Your Own Clean Energy Journey
Are you looking to expand your engineering capabilities, gain international research experience, or study at leading clean energy hubs across Europe?
Discover all current funding opportunities, active exchange calls, and eligibility criteria by visiting:
digiwind.org/digiwind-open-calls-fueling-the-future-of-wind-energy/
