WINDED Summer School 2025

The inaugural WINDED Summer School 2025 successfully brought together students, academics, and early-career professionals from across the world to explore the technical, ecological, and social dimensions of offshore wind operations and maintenance (O&M). Hosted at Campus@Sea in The Hague (Campus@Sea – campusatsea.nl), the three-day event combined expert talks, hands-on workshops, and a visit to the Port of Rotterdam, offering participants a unique interdisciplinary learning experience.

Interdisciplinary kick-off

The program opened on August 27 with a welcome by Marco Borsotti (TU Delft), who outlined the vision for cross-domain learning in offshore wind O&M. Prof. dr. Simon Watson (TU Delft) introduced the Holi-DOCTOR project, while Dr. Helena Solman (WUR) highlighted the importance of integrating ecological and social sciences into offshore wind planning. The opening was followed by a networking reception and poster session.

From predictive maintenance to policy integration

On the second day, sessions spanned both technical and social perspectives. Experts from TNO, World Class Maintenance, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel showcased cutting-edge tools for predictive, autonomous maintenance, logistics modelling, and AI-driven monitoring. In the afternoon, Dr. Caitlin Mandeville (NTNU) and Dr. Helena Solman (WUR) addressed biodiversity and governance challenges, highlighting the role of adaptive policy in aligning offshore wind expansion with ecological protection.

Workshops included a hands-on session with TNO’s UWiSE simulation tool, where participants explored the trade-offs of O&M logistics under weather constraints. Finally, a VR experience allowed students to virtually maintain a wind turbine and gain insight into wind operations.

Skills for the future

Day three shifted toward skills development and practical insights. WindEurope’s Ekaterine Gogoberishvili discussed the evolving skill needs of the wind energy sector, while Iris Menger (Vattenfall) shared first-hand experiences of operating the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm.

The program was originally scheduled to conclude with a field trip to an offshore wind farm. However, weather conditions forced a last-minute change of plans. Instead, the group traveled to the Port of Rotterdam, where a port tour and industrial visits provided compelling insights into the coastal wind energy infrastructure.

Among the highlights was a viewing of the GE Haliade-X 14 MW prototype turbine (GE’s Haliade-X 14.7 MW-220 turbine obtains full DNV type certificate | GE Vernova News), located in the port area. The Haliade-X features a 220 m rotor diameter, 107 m long blades, and a total height of ~ 248 m.

We also got a glimpse of SIF’s factory on Maasvlakte 2 (Sif Group – EN | Homepage), the Dutch company specializing in monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines, and observed elements of the assembly and logistics operations.

The visit was especially valuable in linking the theoretical aspects of turbine foundations and supply chains with real-world scale manufacturing and port-side handling.

Building a new community

Throughout the summer school, participants engaged in cross-disciplinary dialogue, blending engineering, ecology, governance, and logistics. By combining expert lectures, interactive workshops, immersive VR, and site visits, the WINDED Summer School 2025 demonstrated the value of holistic approaches in preparing the next generation of offshore wind leaders.